Leaders from South American countries who share the Amazon will meet next week on how to best to fight the wildfires.
Since January, Brazil’s National Space Research Institute which monitors deforestation has recorded more than 40,000 fires in the Amazon region. That’s about three football fields’ worth of trees falling every minute in the rainforest.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been critical of protections for the Amazon, calling them an obstacle to his country’s economic development. Some of the fires may have been started by illegal clearing of the land.
The Amazon spans nine countries, including neighboring Bolivia, which is also battling its own fires.
CGTN’s Dan Collyns begins our coverage from Taperas, Bolivia.
Follow Dan Collyns on Twitter @yachay_dc
Discussion with:
- Felipe Milanez is a professor of humanities at Federal University of Bahia.
- Claudio Angelo is a science writer and the chief communications officer of the Climate Observatory.
- Sweta Chakraborty is a Risk and Behavorial Scientist and expert on climate science.
- Rodrigo Constantino is an economist, author and columnist for Brazilian media.
For more:
Brazil is not the only South American country battling raging wildfires. A large area of Bolivia is coping with vast fires burning out of control. @yachay_dc https://t.co/yAlwBWTYtZ
— CGTN America (@cgtnamerica) August 29, 2019
Amazon fires: Brazil bans fire for land clearance for 60 days https://t.co/GLFjhubYAV pic.twitter.com/Nx2jVuP8qh
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) August 29, 2019
The Amazon isn't the only region of the globe burning. From central Africa to the Arctic, fires are spreading to areas where they were once rarely seen. And they're growing in intensity, raising fears that climate change is exacerbating the danger. https://t.co/sCXhv9kNXw pic.twitter.com/8ZATjUWsYY
— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 28, 2019