Many regions of the country have suffered from environmental fires in the past two years. In the first six months of 2020, more than 10 million outbreaks of burning spread across Brazilian territory were recorded.

In June, the number of fires in the Amazon biome exceeded the last record, recorded in the same month in 2007. Along with the occurrences of burns, deforestation also occurs drastically.

The fires in the Amazon promote a cycle of destruction on a global scale. Find out what is going on with the world’s largest rainforest.

Get to know the sad “Amazon deforestation cycle”

Deforestation is the removal of vegetation cover from a specific place. This withdrawal can be partial or total.

The motivations related to this practice are usually guided by human and commercial needs, such as:

• Mining;
• Urbanization;
• Expansion of agribusiness;

Although all these activities promote the destruction of the Amazon, the third is the most recurrent and, therefore, the most aggravating.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has already addressed this issue. According to the survey, about 70% of deforestation in Latin America is due to agricultural expansion.

Fires are, in fact, a quick solution to deforest the environment. Fire is seen as a soil cleaning strategy. Then, that same soil can be reused for the exploitation of agriculture or livestock.

The deforestation rate grew 65% in June

Just as there is a tool to measure fires, so do deforestation. Thus came the Inpe system for Detecting Deforestation in Real-Time (Deter).

The most up-to-date data on Deter’s deforestation alerts go until the 18th. However, forecasts show that July already saw a 65% increase in deforestation compared to the same period last year.

It is important to highlight that in August 2019, fires in the Amazon became an issue of international interest. This happened when images of the fires were released and commented around the world.

Now, what has been happening is an increase in records about deforestation. That is, on an ongoing basis, the environmental disaster in the Amazon has happened through illegal deforestation actions.

Check comparisons with previous periods

Do you know the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe)? This is the government branch responsible for monitoring and cataloging fires in Brazil.

From the Queimadas Program, a survey based on satellite images was released by the institution in early July. According to Inpe, more than 2,200 active fires were registered in June 2020.

Check below what were the statistics and comparisons about burning in the Amazon in relation to previous years.

June 2007

Almost 4,000 fires were identified in the Amazon biome in June 2007. Since then, the number of fires in the territory has not exceeded 2,000, until June this year.

June 2019

According to data from the recent survey, the active areas of burning have grown compared to last year. Not only that, but the increase was almost 20%.

The outbreaks of fire are factors of concern, but it is necessary to understand their relationship with environmental deforestation.

President Jair Bolsonaro holds indigenous and caboclos responsible for the fires

The Legal Amazon is an area formed by states that belong to the Amazon Basin and the regions where this vegetation occurs.

Below we list the nine states that participate in this group:

• Mato Grosso;
• Acre;
• Amapá;
• Amazonas;
• Roraima;
• Tocantins;
• Pará;
• Rondônia;

After the release of data on the burnings in the Legal Amazon, the president made a statement on a Facebook live.

According to Bolsonaro, it is the indigenous and caboclos who initiate most of the deforestation and fires in the Amazon region.

In his speech, the president reinforces that these peoples use these practices to be able to produce their subsistence.

Bolsonaro also stated that “if there were no Legal Amazon, the number of fire outbreaks would be down there.”

On another occasion, the president commented that the data on fires and deforestation released by Inpe is greater than the reality.

According to the President of the Republic, Ricardo Salles remains in the Ministry

During the live streaming in which he made the statement on indigenous and caboclos, Jair Bolsonaro assured that the current minister Ricardo Salles remains in his position. However, the latest repercussions involving Salles’ speech have caused widespread outrage among environmentalists.

At the ministerial meeting on June 22, Ricardo Salles used the expression “to spend the night”. At the time, the minister referred to the easing of fires and deforestation during the pandemic period.

Isolated indigenous peoples in the Amazon and COVID-19

During the quarantine period due to the new coronavirus, the Amazon biome became even more vulnerable. After all, many indigenous lands have suffered an intensification of invasions, deforestation, and fires.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 continues to advance among indigenous peoples. To make matters worse, violence against these communities has also increased during the quarantine.

Gold miners and farmers contaminated with COVID-19, who invade and exploit indigenous lands, threaten entire villages. For this reason, the virus has managed to reach even the most isolated populations.

Government decree prohibits burning for 120 days in Brazil

Jair Bolsonaro and Ricardo Salles signed a decree on July 16, published in the Diário da União. According to the President of the Republic and the Minister of the Environment, burning is prohibited for 120 days.

This determination applies to the entire national territory. According to Salles, in the regions of the Amazon and the Pantanal, “whoever burns is incurring open illegality”.

Apparently, the emergency measure was created by pressure from entrepreneurs and investors. After all, like Amazônia Life, there are other projects and environmentalists dedicated to preservation actions in this region.