In an interview with CNN the president of Ibama (Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources), Rodrigo Agostinho, commented on the fires that hit the country in recent days.
Agostinho warned that the “hot spot is now in the south of the Amazon” and highlighted that the region is facing the worst drought in the last 44 years.
According to the president of Ibama, currently, more than 3 thousand firefighters work throughout Brazil to combat forest fires.
The severe drought, which has lasted six years without the Guaporé River flooding, is expected to persist throughout September and part of October, worsening the risk of fires.
Human action and ongoing investigations
Agostinho emphasized that all recorded fires are caused by human actions. “Fires do not start spontaneously,” he stated.
Ibama did not detect lightning formation at the time, ruling out natural causes for the fires.
Authorities have already arrested five people in São Paulo, one in Paraná and another in Goiás during investigations into the fires.
In the Amazon, several investigations were opened, especially by state agencies.
Criminal strategies and environmental impacts
The president of Ibama explained that, in the Amazon, fire is frequently used as a strategy to degrade the forest and facilitate the entry of cattle.
This practice has been observed in regions such as Acre, Rondônia and southern Amazonas, along important highways such as the Transamazônica (BR-230), the BR-319 near Porto Velho, and the BR-163 connecting Mato Grosso and Pará.
Agostinho also mentioned the Matopiba region (Maranhão, Piauí, Tocantins and Bahia), where criminals set fire to vegetation after deforesting the Cerrado.
These actions result in serious complications for human health, causing respiratory problems, in addition to causing significant loss of biodiversity, both flora and fauna.
The president of Ibama made an appeal to the population: “We will get through this drought, but please, don’t set fires.”
He recalled that causing forest fires is a crime, punishable by up to six years in prison, and reinforced the importance of awareness and preventive action to protect the environment and public health.
This content was originally published in “Hot spot is now in the south of the Amazon”, says president of Ibama on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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