[News Spot] The World's Largest Wetland 'Pantanal' Is Burning

Vicious Cycle of Abnormal Climate and Severe Drought
Area Equivalent to 10 Times Seoul Disappears This Year Alone

The Pantanal, the world's largest freshwater wetland located in Brazil, is burning. The area lost to consecutive fires this year alone amounts to about 10 times the size of Seoul.

Wetland area 'Pantanal' in the upper Paraguay River region, Central-West Brazil. [Photo by PantanalSOS]

The Pantanal is a marshland stretching approximately 600 km north to south along the Paraguay River and its tributary, the Taquari River, spanning the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul in the central-west region. It also extends into parts of Bolivia and Paraguay to the west of Brazil. The name Pantanal derives from the Portuguese word "pantano," meaning swamp, wetland, or marsh.

Each year, from the rainy season in November through March of the following year, about 80% of the Pantanal is submerged underwater. The wetland provides fertile soil for the wild ecosystem, supporting around 3,000 plant species, over 1,000 bird species, reptiles, and approximately 150,000 species of wild flora and fauna. Due to its exceptionally rich biodiversity, UNESCO designated the Pantanal as a World Natural Heritage site in 2000. The Pantanal is also popular as an ecotourism destination because its wildlife ecosystem is well preserved. Tourists can take safari tours on farms located throughout the area and observe wild animals up close.

However, indiscriminate development has caused wetlands exceeding 1,500 times the size of Yeouido to disappear annually, threatening the survival of the Pantanal. Concerns also arise from water shortages caused by global warming and frequent damage from wildfires. The reduction of wetlands means a decline in biodiversity, which ultimately affects human life as well.

This year, as the number of fires in the Pantanal surged more than 11 times (1,127%) compared to the same period last year, the Mato Grosso do Sul state government declared a state of emergency on the 24th (local time) and approved the deployment of seven military aircraft and 50 soldiers to assist in firefighting efforts.

According to Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (Inpe), the area of the Pantanal lost to fires in the first half of the year was 600,000 hectares, roughly 10 times the size of Seoul. This figure is 39% higher than the same period in 2020, which recorded the highest number of fires in the Pantanal since the late 1990s. Experts predict that the damage to wildlife from this year's fires will be enormous and express concern that the situation could be similar to 2020, when at least 17 million wild animals perished.

Smoke is rising as a fire breaks out in the Pantanal wetlands in Brazil. [Photo by PantanalSOS]

Fires in the Pantanal have been a significant environmental issue for several years. As fires increase, the dry season, which typically begins in July, starts earlier, leading to prolonged droughts and an exponential increase in areas susceptible to fires, creating a vicious cycle. Experts point out that the fundamental causes of the fires are natural disasters brought about by El Ni?o and La Ni?a. Some farmers set fires in the wetlands for agricultural purposes, which can escalate into uncontrollable large-scale fires. For this reason, the Brazilian government has temporarily banned arson for land clearing.

The non-governmental organization (NGO) "Pantanal SOS," which is campaigning to protect the Pantanal, recently posted videos of the fires on its website, warning that "whether greater damage will occur in the future depends on us humans."