The "Lungs of the Earth" Drying Up Due to Drought... 140,000 Fires Occurred in the Amazon Last Year

Brazil National Institute for Space Research Amazon Satellite Observation Results
Most Fires Since 2007...140,328 Cases
Many Wildfires Due to El Ni?o and Deforestation

Last year, the number of fires in the tropical rainforest of the Brazilian Amazon was the highest in 17 years. On the 1st (local time), AFP reported, "According to satellite observations by the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE), a total of 140,328 fires were detected in the Amazon rainforest in 2024." This represents a 42% increase compared to 2023 and is the highest figure since 2007 (186,463 cases).

A drone shot of a smoke-filled wildfire in the Amazon in Labrea, Amazonas, Brazil, in September last year. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News.

The increase in fires was caused by prolonged droughts that triggered wildfires. The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the European Union's (EU) climate change monitoring agency, explained, "Severe drought has worsened wildfire-related problems across South America."

Brazil suffered its worst drought in 44 years last year. According to the Brazilian National Center for Natural Disaster Monitoring, from May to August last year, 16 out of 27 states recorded the lowest average humidity since 1980. In particular, the drought damage in the Pantanal, the world's largest flooded grassland, was severe. INPE estimated that the area of Pantanal burned by fire from January to July last year was 800,000 hectares (about 8,000 km²), which is 13 times the area of Seoul.

As the drought worsened, at one point, 80% of Brazil's territory was covered by wildfire smoke. Thick smoke drifted into major cities such as Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, and S?o Paulo, causing severe air pollution that lasted for weeks.

Since mid-2023, the Amazon has suffered severe drought due to El Ni?o, creating conditions conducive to wildfires. Furthermore, it is understood that some fires were caused by farmers clearing land for agricultural use. AFP pointed out, "Continued deforestation could reach a point where the Amazon releases more carbon than it absorbs, accelerating climate change."

However, deforestation in the Amazon appears to be somewhat decreasing. INPE reported that from August 2023 to August 2024, deforestation in the Amazon region decreased by more than 30% compared to the previous year, reaching the lowest level in nine years. Brazilian President Luiz In?cio Lula da Silva, who won a third term in 2023, announced a goal to achieve "zero Amazon rainforest deforestation by 2030."