40 degrees, no shade and a gloomy atmosphere. The sun’s rays can’t penetrate what looks like fog. But it smells of ash and you can see the smoke drifting past. To the right and left, burnt trees, alligators on the shore and the odd green island that has survived the devastating fire. One kilometre after another since we entered the Cuiabá river.
The Pantanal
The Pantanal is the world’s largest tropical wetland with an impressive biodiversity. It is located in the heart of Brazil and has been suffering from severe forest fires for weeks. According to Brazil’s Environmental Satellite Applications Laboratory, this 2023 more than one million hectares have already changed from spring green to ash grey.
In the middle of spring. November marks the beginning of the rainy season. At least that has always been the case. However, this year weeks have gone by without a drop of water and it is now the middle of December. Low river levels coupled with the severe drought further encourage fires to spread.
What are the causes?
Farmers prepare their land for the next season. They burn the dry grass to renew it. Often without any safety measures. The fire ends up out of control and the few firefighters are faced with a daunting task. On top of that, they have hardly any equipment and it is difficult to reach the outbreaks. Or an accident happens, as when a motor grader working on the Transpantaneira collided with an electric pole. Instead of putting out the fire or giving a warning, the man fled.
Fires burn every year, but it is not always as devastating as this one. It is not always such a large area and it does not always affect the core of the national park. And it is not always due to humans either.
This year, the El Niño phenomenon has delayed the rains that usually come in October or November. But now thunderstorms form in the high humidity and heat, but hardly any water falls, only lightning strikes on the dry trees and bushes. In the end, it was lightning that caused the fires in Porto Jofre.
What can be done?
Little.
Extreme situations are increasing, Brazilian legislation does little to improve the situation and even less is being done to combat illegal burning. There are foreign projects with a small-scale impact, but if you look at the total, nothing changes. And climate change is a global problem.
It only remains for the importance of this region to be matched to that of the Amazon, because it is no less important.