Amazon Fires
Yoora Jeong ’27
Victoria Kenton ‘25
The Amazon rainforest is well known for its contributions. The area is crucial to the planet's health, serving as a carbon sink and supporting remarkable biodiversity and culture. The rainforest, extending from the Atlantic west to the Andes and spanning nine countries, stores 150 to 200 billion tons of carbon, contributes 10% of the world’s known species, and is home to over 400 indigenous tribes. However, the rainforest is experiencing one of the most challenging cycles of wildfires.
So far, in 2024, the rainforest has experienced over 50,000 fire outbreaks, resulting in significant devastation and the loss of more than 13 million acres, making it the most challenging year for Amazon fires since 2005 (Rainforest Foundation, 2024). Throughout its history, the Amazon has experienced fires frequently sparked by natural events like lightning or drought; however, this latest surge of devastation is predominantly anthropogenic. Farmers and illegal loggers contribute significantly by using slash-and-burn methods to quickly clear land for agriculture, burning it for maximum nutrition, and then abandoning it. It is particularly prevalent in regions such as Mato Grosso and Pará, known as hotspots for commodity production. Additionally, cattle need plenty of space to ensure optimal grazing. Therefore, to meet the rising demand for feed crops like palm oil and soybeans, farmers are increasingly converting land for these purposes. This shift disrupts forests' natural regeneration and recovery, often resulting in frequent fires. Despite additional detriments to soil fertility, global demand for these crops keeps growing, pushing farmers and illegal loggers to clear even more land and rely heavily on this unsustainable practice.
In addition to the apparent environmental damage, the rising occurrence of Amazon fires leads to intricate economic and social repercussions. The fires disrupt local economies, especially agriculture and tourism, which depend significantly on the Amazon's resources and standing. Local industries are encountering increasing expenses due to land damage, resource depletion, and a drop in productivity. This issue creates widespread impacts, intertwining global trade, investment, and social stability in ways that enhance the intricacy of the problem. The extent of the crisis shows that its impacts reach well beyond the immediate devastation, affecting an array of interconnected systems at both local and global levels.
References
Vera, G. (2020, September 14). Slash & burn: Part 1: Why Amazonian Farmers Use Fire. InfoAmazonia.
https://infoamazonia.org/en/2013/04/11/slash-burn-part-1-why-amazonian-farmers-use-fire/
What animals live in the Amazon? and 8 other Amazon Facts | stories | WWF. (n.d.).
https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/what-animals-live-in-the-amazon-and-8-other-amazon-facts
Koop, Fermín. “Carlos Nobre: ‘Nature More Powerful for Amazon Economy than Extraction.’” Dialogue Earth, 14 Sept. 2023,
https://dialogue.earth/en/forests/361421-carlos-nobre-amzon-nature-economy-interview/
“Brazil: Amazon Fires Affect Health of Thousands.” Human Rights Watch, 28 Oct. 2020,
www.hrw.org/news/2020/08/26/brazil-amazon-fires-affect-health-thousands.
Rainforest Foundation. “2024 Amazon Fires.” Rainforest Foundation US, 12 Nov. 2024,
https://rainforestfoundation.org/engage/brazil-amazon-fires/
