Fires in Pantanal, South America, world's largest tropical wetlands, 'triple' in 2020

https://news.yahoo.com/fires-pantanal-worlds-largest-tropical-125915791.html

BBC•July 24, 2020


The number of forest fires in the Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetlands, has tripled in 2020 compared to last year, according to Brazil's national space agency Inpe.

Inpe identified 3,682 fires from 1 January to 23 July in the region, an increase of 201% compared to 2019.

Thousands of species including jaguars, anteaters and migratory birds live in the 140,000-160,000 sq km area.

Last month was the worst June for fires in the neighbouring Amazon in 13 years.

The wetlands are located across Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia and are one of the most biodiverse areas in the world.

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Members of environmental network the Pantanal Observatory called the fires "a social danger since, in addition to the economic damage and the loss of biodiversity, fires cause respiratory problems, eye irritation and allergies," according to Brazilian newspaper O Globo.

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The organisation said that in two days, around 7,000 hectares were burnt as the result of both "criminal activity" and "climactic factors".

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tags: severe weather, extreme weather