BBC Wildlife - UK (2019-12)

Fireconsumesforestsin

theBrazilianstateof

Rondônia.Morethan

87,000forestfireswere

recordedinBrazilinthe

firsteightmonthsof2019.

Joedson

Aves/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

T

heAmazon’sblessingis

alsoitscurse.A fertile

biomewithanabundance

ofwater,sunandlife-giving

soils,theenvironmental

conditionsthatmakeit

a regionofunparalleled

biodiversityarethesameonesdesiredby

farmersandloggers,thebiggestdrivers

ofitsdeforestation.

InAugustthisyear,alleyesturnedto

theAmazonasthousandsoffiresravaged

massiveswathesoftheregion.Butwhat

causedthem?

Slicinguptheland

Toexploitnature’sbounty,newroadsare

carvedintotheforest,whichbringstheland

grabbers.Theirjobis toillegallycutdown

theforesttomakewayforcattlegrazing,

thoughbeefis notthemaincommoditythey

desire.Thelandgrabbersuseranchingto

stakeclaimonthelandtosellonfora profit.

TiagoReis,a globaltraderesearcherat

theCatholicUniversityofLouvainexplains:

“Landgrabbersfirstremovethevaluable

trees,sellthemtoillegalmarkets,thenclear

a wholeareaandpilethewoodintoa corner

oftheplot.Inthedryseasontheysetfire

tothepyres.Thentheyspreadpastureland

andcattleinanunproductiveandinefficient

way.”Hecontinues:“Theyarenotcattle

ranchers.Theyarelandspeculatorswhose

objectiveis toclaimownershipofthe

landandsellit fora veryhighpricetoreal

farmersandranchers.”

Butthiswasnottheonlycauseofthe

2019 fires.Farmerswhohavealreadylaid

claimtothefringesoftheAmazonalso

burnfieldsinordertocleartheground

forthenextplantingseason.Someof

FACT FILE

THE AMAZON RAINFOREST

Q The Amazon is the world’s largest

rainforest, spanning 9 South

American countries and 40 per

cent of its land.

Q Approximately 43.6 million

hectares of the Amazonian forest has

been cut down in the last 30 years.

December 2019 BBC Wildlife 33

NEWS FEATURE