World leaders expressed concerns over the wildfires raging in the Amazon rainforest. UN chief Antonio Guterres spoke out on this issue. He said, "The Amazon must be protected." This is because it is a major source of oxygen and biodiversity. France's President Emmanuel Macron echoed the thoughts of the UN chief. Macron described the wildfires in the rainforest as "an international crisis." He added that the house was on fire and world leaders must take cognizance of this.
They must formulate a suitable action plan to check such types of disasters.
First Post reports about the increase in incidents of forest fires in Brazil. In the first eight months, there were nearly 73,000 of them and these are the highest since 2013. Any fire destroys the surroundings including infrastructure, apart from the green cover. It also forces men, animals, and birds out of their natural habitats. The authorities have yet to ascertain the extent of the damage.
Need to prevent forest fires
Many countries have faced, and are still facing forest fires. Those in the know usually attribute these to global warming because of climate change.
There could be an odd case of human involvement but the majority of them are due to a combination of drought and high-speed winds. The ongoing fires in the Amazon rainforest are potential dangers for the source of oxygen for our planet. In the opinion of environmentalists, the reason is the rapid rate of deforestation. Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro disagrees. He believes these are because of drought. However many activists believe people must realize the implications and take appropriate decisions.
First Post adds that neighboring Peru is on alert. It is a part of the Amazon basin, and wildfires do not believe in boundaries and keep spreading. They could enter from Brazil and Bolivia. Incidentally, Paraguay and Bolivia are already trying to come to terms with their own wildfires that have devastated their rainforests.
Hence, the whole region is making all-out efforts to tackle the situation.
Satellite images reveal more than 9,500 fires
According to Express UK, the space research center of Brazil says there were more than 72,800 fires in the Amazon this year alone. The figure shows an 83 percent surge over fires recorded in the same period in 2018. Moreover, satellite images revealed more than 9,500 new forest fires in the Amazon basin burning since Thursday. The greenery of the forest is vital to counter global warming and their loss will hurt.
The state of Amazonas declared a state of emergency on Monday after it failed to contain the blazes even after three weeks. As a meteorologist said, “We are in a climate emergency.” The Amazon basin includes territory belonging to nine nations, and 60 percent of it is within Brazil.
Wildfires are common in Brazil during the dry season, but the current fires appear to be above normal. Some believe these were intentional. Vested interests resorted to illegal deforestation to make way for cattle ranching.