Forest fire happenings loom large in the oncoming dry season.
Destruction of forest is the new normal under the presidency of Mr Bolsonaro in Brazil. Thousands of square kilometres of pristine forest is getting hewed down while taking the benefit of lenient environmental laws, and a corrupt administration.
National space research agency data says, forest clearances in Brazil’s portion of the Amazon increased 1.8 per cent in June compared to a year ago, to 1,062 square kilometres. In the first six months of the present year, the region has lost forest cover which equals to four times the area of New York City.
The right wing government, since its taking office from 2019, has weakened the environmental laws and has allowed the international mining companies and large agricultural farms to operate, flouting all norms in areas which were once habitat of thousands of different rare species. This had a destructive effect on the ecosystem, and increased forest fire. The government of Mr Jair Bolsonaro acted as the bane of Amazon rainforest.
Bolsonaro’s press office kept silence to a request for comment on its environmental policies or the deforestation figures.
The forest absorbs vast amount of greenhouse gases and its protection is important for the life on this planet.
Brazil is gonna face its annual dry season, with fires usually peaking in August and September.
Illegal loggers generally cut down valuable trees and then the agents use fire to clear the land in a bid to raise its value for agricultural purposes. “Many of these areas are adjacent to standing forests, making them prime locations for fires to jump from cleared land to remaining forest” , says an expert.
In addition, Brazil is facing severe drought and researchers say the dryness will likely contribute to worse fires this year.