In August, the state of São Paulo recorded the highest number of fires since the beginning of the historical series in 1998. Compared to the same period in 2023, the increase in fire outbreaks rose 989%, according to data from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE).
In the list of states with the most environmental fires in the month, São Paulo appears in 5th place, behind Mato Grosso do Sul, in 4th, Amazonas, in 3rd, Pará, in 2nd and Mato Grosso, in 1st, the latter registering an increase of almost 400% compared to August last year.
The report from the INPE Burning Program also states that the most affected biomes are the Amazon, with 54.8%, and the Cerrado, with 28%.
According to the publication ‘The geography of sugar cane‘, from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the Cerrado in the state of São Paulo accounts for one third of the entire sugarcane cultivation area in the country. Not coincidentally, the cities in São Paulo that had the highest concentration of fires in the last week are surrounded by sugarcane fields.
Confirming the information, an analysis by the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (Ipam), published this Tuesday (27), reveals that “of the 2.6 thousand hot spots registered in the state of São Paulo from August 22 to 24, more than 80% are concentrated in areas used for agricultural purposes, such as those occupied by sugar cane and pasture.”
The state that leads the list, Mato Grosso, has practically the entire area covered by the Legal Amazon. It is also the federative unit with the most large estates and the largest agricultural production, according to data from the IBGE and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa).
Smoke over Brazil
Due to the fire in the Center-South, capitals such as Brasília and Manaus were covered by smoke from the fires this Tuesday (27) and last weekend. The very low air quality also created a landscape with a red sun in São Luís do Maranhão.
Doctors and civil defense agencies warn of diseases caused by smoke. Among the most common symptoms reported on days with poor air quality are irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, coughing, shortness of breath, and worsening of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and bronchitis.
Health authorities also recommend that in cases of severe respiratory distress, it is best to seek immediate medical attention.
Causes and consequences
In addition to harming human health and the economy, with the loss of arable land and agricultural products, the progressive increase in fires kills hundreds of animals and causes imbalance in countless ecosystems.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Fund, burning and cutting down forests accounts for 25% of emissions of greenhouse gases, a phenomenon that causes global warming on the planet.
Last Saturday (24), the governor of the state of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas, flew over the burning sugarcane fields in the region of Presidente Prudente, one of the most affected. At the time, the governor stated that the fires are happening due to the combination of high temperatures, low relative humidity and strong winds.
The intensity with which these weather events have occurred in recent days, however, is directly linked to climate change. Thus, the cycle is replenished with fires, favoring global warming and creating a scenario more conducive to the spread of fire.
Check out the ranking from 1st to 27th place
The data considers the period from 01/01/2024 to 08/25/2024:
| MT | 20725 |
|---|---|
| SHOVEL | 14532 |
| AM | 12037 |
| MS | 9576 |
| TO | 7308 |
| BAD | 6558 |
| SP | 5280 |
| RO | 5068 |
| MG | 4857 |
| RR | 4663 |
| BA | 3212 |
| GO | 2539 |
| IP | 2294 |
| B.C | 2050 |
| PR | 1649 |
| SC | 1170 |
| RS | 1106 |
| RJ | 686 |
| EC | 611 |
| EN | 310 |
| FOOT | 293 |
| DF | 157 |
| AL | 126 |
| PB | 125 |
| RN | 113 |
| IF | 71 |
| AP | 17 |
Under supervision
This content was originally published in SP has the highest number of fires in August since the beginning of the historical series on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
