Brazil: The Pantanal, a sanctuary of biodiversity devastated by record fires

The Pantanal, in the Central-West region of Brazil, is in the grip of record fires. In this wildlife sanctuary, more than 760,000 hectares of vegetation were destroyed in the first six months of 2024. June was a record month, with 2,636 new fires. That's 30 times more than during the same period last year. In the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, which contains 65 percent of this fragile ecosystem, 400 firefighters and soldiers have been mobilised for more than three months to fight the flames. 95 percent of these fires originate from agricultural properties in the region. Louise Raulais, Marine Resse, Jan Onoszko report.

Jul 20, 2024 - 07:00
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Brazil: The Pantanal, a sanctuary of biodiversity devastated by record fires
The Pantanal, in the Central-West region of Brazil, is in the grip of record fires. In this wildlife sanctuary, more than 760,000 hectares of vegetation were destroyed in the first six months of 2024. June was a record month, with 2,636 new fires. That's 30 times more than during the same period last year. In the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, which contains 65 percent of this fragile ecosystem, 400 firefighters and soldiers have been mobilised for more than three months to fight the flames. 95 percent of these fires originate from agricultural properties in the region. Louise Raulais, Marine Resse, Jan Onoszko report.