November 29, 2022

14:11

Ívina Garcia – from Amazon Agency

MANAUS – The months of August and September are typically hotter in the Amazon region, when there is usually an increase in the data of hotspots. According to a study by the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe), the heat spots were more than 74 thousand focuses in 2022 and are already the largest record since 2010.

The article published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, entitled “Record-breaking fires in the Brazilian Amazon associated with uncontrolled deforestation”, cites human action, through deforestation, as the main cause of the hotspots.

“The high incidence of fires in 2010 was explained by an extreme drought event that occurred in a large part of the Amazon. In 2022, however, there was nothing similar, that is, the increase in hotspots was clearly related to other factors”, explains the person responsible for the study, Guilherme Mataveli, a post-doctoral researcher at the Earth Observation and Geoinformatics Division of the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) and Fapesp fellow.

The study also analysed the location of these hotspots, where 62% were detected in recently deforested areas, if compared with the same two-month period in 2021, the increase was 71% in these areas. According to Guilherme, the data ignites alert for deforestation in Conservation Units and Indigenous Lands. “In recent years, the Amazon has become more vulnerable to illegal logging and this significant increase in fires is one of the results of the process”, says the researcher.

According to the study group, 35% of the hot spots in August and September 2022 occurred in places where the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR), that is, the registration of rural and private property, is not required. This registration resulted in a 69% increase in hot spots in those areas compared to the same two-month period in 2021.

‘TerraBrasilis’

The data, taken from Inpe’s TerraBrasilis, also show that in the month of October, the focuses reached 13 thousand records, being the third month with the highest incidence since September 2021. Among the States analysed in the survey, Pará, Mato Grosso and Amazonas stand out with the highest records.

According to figures pointed out since August 2019, Pará has recorded 124,727 thousand focuses since the initial date. Followed by Mato Grosso, with 65,535 hotspots and Amazonas, with 62,632. In the last three months, the states had more than 37,000 hotspots caused by recent deforestation.

“This article points out a systemic problem that must be seriously faced by society. The reversal of this situation requires the punishment of offenders, implementation of efficient public policies, communication with society and search for alternative solutions, based on cutting-edge science, which are sustainable for the development of the region”, warns Luiz Aragão, co-author of the article.

The article “Record-breaking fires in the Brazilian Amazon associated with uncontrolled deforestation” can be found at: www.nature.com/articles/s41559-022-01945-2. It is also available at: https://rdcu.be/cZT77.