The air shimmers with heat as the flames eat through the dry grass. The sky over the endless expanse of the Pantanal, the largest tropical wetland in the world, is covered in thick clouds of smoke. «I think of the many Animals“who suffer from it, to the children in the village, for whom the smoke is particularly harmful,” says Laércio Fernandes during a short break. The indigenous firefighter’s face is marked by soot and his eyes are red. “We have to defend our environment, who else will do it?” he says.
Fernandes is one of many emergency workers fighting the flames from the surrounding villages of the Kadiwéu indigenous territory in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. At 538,000 hectares, it is the largest indigenous area in the Pantanal. An area more than twice as large as Saarland. Almost 63 percent of them have already burned this year, according to data from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
One of two bases Fire department within this territory is in Tomazia. The village with around 350 inhabitants is about two hours’ drive from the nearest larger town, Bonito. But unlike the city known for its crystal clear and intensely blue waters, Tomazia appears as if viewed through a sepia filter.
The smell of ash is in the air. Because of this, school has had to be stopped several times, says the teacher Rosangela, who lives in the village. She doesn’t know when she last saw the sun in its full glory. Enveloped in dense clouds of smoke, it only looks like a pale, reddish circle.
The operations of the 85 mostly indigenous fire brigades are coordinated from here. In several units they are responsible for the entire territory. The ongoing ones Fires not only release huge amounts of carbon, but also increasingly threaten the habitats of these indigenous communities.
Fernandes takes another sip of water before using his fan to follow the line the fire leaves in the parched area. Colleagues with firefighting backpacks and other equipment follow him. Birds and other animals cannot be seen in the operational area. Two charred tortoises were recently discovered.
Drones support indigenous firefighters
A unit is deployed for almost 24 hours before it is picked up by a helicopter and brought back to the village. They have recently received support in their fight against the flames – from a drone. They can be used to detect and extinguish fire outbreaks before they spread further. Ultimately, they also serve the safety of the emergency services.
“The Pantanal can be very impermeable; fallen trees can block paths. “With the help of the drone, they not only see where the fire is spreading, but also how they get there,” explains Heideger Nascimento from the non-governmental organization Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF). He has been training the emergency services in theoretical and practical training on how to use the drone since September.
In addition to the firefighters in Kadiwéu, EJF is also equipping other fire departments in another indigenous area with the flying objects. The aim is to also provide other indigenous communities in the Pantanal with training and equipment.
Record forest fires in the Pantanal
The Pantanal is one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet and is home to rare species. Jaguars, tapirs and hyacinth macaws live there. The wetland that extends from Brazil also extends into the neighboring countries of Bolivia and Paraguay, consists of a branched system of rivers and lakes and is a unique natural and tourist paradise.
This year the region is experiencing a particularly severe forest fire season. According to the Brazilian space institute Inpe, there were 3,538 fire outbreaks in the first six months alone. This is a record high since records began in 1,999. There were around 2,700 outbreaks in September alone, compared to 373 in the same month last year.
According to Brazil’s Environment Minister Marina Silva, the fires are largely due to human activity. Economically, cattle farming is the main activity in the area. Farmers traditionally burn forest areas to create new pastures. If these fires get out of control, huge wildfires can occur. The situation is also being made worse this year by a severe drought. According to experts, it is related to the El Niño weather phenomenon and climate change.
Fire sources throughout South America
But there are fires not only in the Pantanal, but throughout South America. The worst fires in almost 20 years are raging in the Brazilian Amazon region. Plumes of smoke spread across the entire continent. This is why the metropolis of São Paulo recently had the worst air quality in the world. Forests are also burning in other countries such as Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Argentina. Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa canceled his visit to the United Nations General Assembly in New York because of this.
A few days ago, indigenous representatives of peoples from several South American countries also came to the city on the Big Apple. They had to the devastating Forest fires and the increasing destruction of their habitats. Indigenous peoples play a key role in the fight against global warming. Indigenous people are also considered “guardians of the forest” because of their way of life. The world must act now, demanded Raoni Metuktire, Kayapó chief and representative of the concerns of indigenous peoples in the Amazon. “Not just for our sake, but for the future of the entire planet.”
© dpa-infocom, dpa:241001-930-248439/1
The air shimmers with heat as the flames eat through the dry grass. The sky over the endless expanse of the Pantanal, the largest tropical wetland in the world, is covered in thick clouds of smoke. «I think of the many Animals“who suffer from it, to the children in the village, for whom the smoke is particularly harmful,” says Laércio Fernandes during a short break. The indigenous firefighter’s face is marked by soot and his eyes are red. “We have to defend our environment, who else will do it?” he says.
