HotSpots H2O: Fires in the World’s Largest Wetlands Decimate Wildlife and Livelihoods

Circle of Blue discusses HotSpots H2O: Fires in the World’s Largest Wetlands Decimate Wildlife and Livelihoods.

The Pantanal wetlands are on fire. Since early this year, nearly a fifth of the Brazilian ecosystem, over 14,000 square miles, has burned in wildfires just south of the Amazon rainforest.

Their habitat destroyed, thousands of animals have been killed, burned, or injured. Locals to the wetlands have lost their homes, including fires in five Indigenous territories. Brazilian President Jair Bolsanaro and his administration claim they have sent national assistance to control the fires, yet according to the Associated Press those on the ground say there hasn’t been much help from the government to stop the spread.

Spanning the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul and sections of Bolivia and Paraguay, the Pantanal is the world’s largest tropical wetland. During the rainy season, the floodplains fill with water and then slowly empty from April to September, providing habitat and nutrients for life in the area. The region is home to 4,700 plant and animal species and the greatest numbers of caiman, jaguar, and other rare wildlife. It is also home to over 270 Indigenous communities, who rely on the wetlands for their livelihoods and economic means.

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