It is nothing new that the Amazon in Brazil has been suffering a rash of fires since the beginning of this year. It even became topic in the first 2020 United States presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden (If you live in the US, please register to vote!). However, the truth that is not being widely shown in the international media is that all the biomes existent in Brazil are suffering from fires, and one of them already has irrevirsible sequels and needs special attention: the Pantanal.
What is the Biome of Pantanal?
The Pantanal is a continental biome having the world's largest wetland area, and the world's largest flooded grasslands. This natural region has a diverse range of aquatic plants and a large number of animal species that are at risk of extinctin in other areas in Brazil, but are able to survive in the marsh biome. There is also the presence of indigenous communities that had a huge influence in the cultural formation of the population living in the biome.
A portion of the Pantanal is protected as a natinal park to keep a rational usage of the natural resources and to secure certain animal species that are endangered. However, even with the protected areas, the Pantanal still suffers from the exploration of its natural resources.
What Started the Fires?
According to specialists, the origin of the fires were caused by human action. Most of them were intentional burning of deforested areas caused by companies for agricultural activity and livestock farming.
There are currently more than 7 thousand fore outbreaks in the area of Pantanal. It is a record for the biome and an increase of 220% compared to last year's statistics.
What Helped Increase It?
There are a few factors that helped outspread the fires more than usual, and most of them are related to the dry seasons and the difficulty of taming the flames.
The River Paraguay is a major river and the primary waterway of the Pantanal. However, this year the river reached a really low water level. It was registered that 2020 had the driest season in the biome of Pantanal in 47 years. The low water levels of the river make it difficult for people to cross it and reach other areas that have fire outbreaks.
Another factor is the called "underground fire". The vegetation compacted under the marshy water in the Pantanal has layers of organic material that are extremely inflatable. When the forest is on fire, it can reach this deeper layer and spread underground. It is also more common to happen during times when it doesn't rain a lot. This occurrence makes it more difficult for firefighters and volunteers to locate those fires and stop them.
Ultimately, the lack of awareness makes the fight against this natural disaster more difficult. The Brazilian medias are talking about how the forests and animals are being destroyed, but it is taking too long to take action to stop it. The Pantanal has been burning since the beginning of the year, but the authorities just started worrying about it when the fires took alarming proportions.
The Consequences for the Animals
As stated earlier, the Pantanal is the home of a lot of endangered animal species, and the fires are destroying their homes and concerning biologists that are trying to safe the animals from fully disappearing.
The most known animal that lives in the swamp is the jaguar (or Panthera onca). It was stated that 85% of the park that harbor these felines is completely destroyed, and any animals struggle with finding food and are severely wounded from the fires.
What Can We Do to Help?
There are a few ways we can help with this issue. One of them is spreading awareness and letting more people know what is currently happening in the Pantanal. Another way is donating or sharing donation links. There are also petitions circulating on the internet about this, but they are not very effective since the best way to help involves aiding the people who are trying to stop the fires and the current resources they have to do so.
Here are some organizations that are working in the biome to stop the fires:
Some of these links go to an Instagram account where you can see more pictures of how is the current condition of the wetlands. Even if you are not able to donate (which is totally okay, it is already a great thing that you read until right now and are aware of what is happening), it will be extremely helpful to share these links to see who can donate.
It is devastating to see what is happening in the biggest wetland area in the world, the home to so many types of plants and animals that can only be found there. There is not enough resources to combat the fires and the government neglects the matter in question. A lot of the flora was completely destroyed in a few months, and the Pantanal could take at least 50 years to recover. Hopefully it is not too late, and this important wetland can one day recover from this tragedy.
Resources:
Thank you so much for reading the first post of the blog! I am so happy that this project finally came true and that I am educating more people about these subjects (while also educating myself as well). I will try to post every Monday and Friday around the same time - 4pm (ET) / 17h (BR). Stay tuned to the new post and comment what you think about this issue discussed here.
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