In 2020, high-intensity wildfires swept across more than 30 percent of the Brazilian Pantanal.
This revelation stems from a recent study conducted by scientists at the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), with support from the São Paulo State Research Foundation (FAPESP). The findings have been published in the scientific journal Fire.
The research indicates that these fires scorched an extensive area covering 44,998 square kilometers within the Brazilian segment of this unique biome, a figure significantly higher than previous estimates, which ranged from 14,307 to 36,017 square kilometers.
The study relied on satellite images from the Sentinel-2 mission, which provided greater accuracy and refinement in assessing the burned areas.
The study's conclusion, as reported by Agência Fapesp, underscores the urgency of enhancing data on the impact of fires in regions highly susceptible to climate change, such as the Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetland. This concern becomes even more critical in 2023, with the looming El Niño phenomenon, which could render the biome drier and more susceptible to wildfires.
Between January 1 and August 28 of this year, the Pantanal has already experienced 394 fire incidents, according to INPE data. In the same period in 2020, 8,895 wildfires were recorded, marking the highest number since 1998 for this biome.