Brazil’s Pantanal Fights for its Life

Both the Amazon and Pantanal have suffered through intense wildfires in the past year due to laxer regulations against harmful farming practices. (Source)

Brazil’s immense wetland is gasping for air. Stretching through Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay, and home to more than 5000 different species, the Pantanal’s staggering biodiversity and remarkable landscapes undoubtedly make it one of the most unique places on earth. However, the world’s largest wetland has been engulfed in flames for the past year.

The unfortunate combination of an extreme dry season and illegal farming techniques has resulted in devastating forest fires dating back to January 1. More than 2,916,000 acres have been burned to the ground, wiping out 19 percent of this richly diverse biome. 

There are two main reasons why record-breaking fires are occurring in the Pantanal. Fires naturally occur in this region; they are generally sparked when lightning strikes the vegetation. However, the frequency and scale of these fires is unusual—they may be caused by lack of government oversight and lack of protection against illegal farming techniques. 

These illegal farming practices have become increasingly prevalent since Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro took office in 2018. One of Bolsonaro’s main objectives is expanding the amount of countries to which Brazil exports its agricultural products. However, this tactic of piggy-backing off Brazil’s natural resources comes with a cost. As higher quantities of commodities such as meat and palm oil are demanded, farmers go to extreme lengths to reap the forest’s benefits, even if it means cashing in an entire ecosystem. In order to produce more, one must acquire a bigger plot of land. The easiest and cheapest way to accomplish this is by burning down vegetation, a technique known as slash-and-burn. This method leads to massive wildfires ranging far beyond the farms. 

These indirect government incentives to expand production with complete disregard for the environment may lead to extreme international criticism towards Bolsonaro and the Brazilian government. After the fires in the Amazon, Bolsonaro received extreme political backlash from various world leaders, which forced him to place a 120-day ban on slash-and-burn farming. However, many believe that this decree was made solely to alleviate criticism and maintain his reputation, since the opposite has ensued since then. This year alone, more than 14,000 fire hotspots have been detected by Brazilian firefighters in the Pantanal—more than three times the rate located last year. Furthermore, the Brazilian government capitalized on the COVID-19 pandemic by reducing its environmental enforcement, declaring that most employers are in a high-risk group. The guidelines of what the government considers a “risk group” are unclear. 

Catia Nunes da Cunha, an ecology professor at the University of Mato Grosso, commented, “The forest fires destroyed the biodiversity of the region. The damage is massive. The recuperation will depend on where, in nature, there is space to replace these animals. This could take over 30 or 40 years.” 

One man affected by the devastation is Benedito Alves da Silva, who was born and raised in the Pantanal. At 79 years old, he was forced to evacuate self-made home for the first time in his life.

“Never had it reached the level this year has gotten to,” said Benedito. “But it will not burn my house down, it won’t, God is good.”

Unless the Brazilian government takes meaningful, sustainable action, ravaging fires of this scale will continue to deplete one of the most important biomes in the world.