Brazil's Amazon equatorial forest has suffered the largest number of fires in 17 years, government figures show.
The National Institute for Space Research said there were 140,328 fires detected by satellite imagery in 2023. The increase is 42% compared to the previous year.
Despite the large number of fires, however, there are indications that the total area that has suffered from deforestation may be the lowest in years.
Deforestation in the region in the 12 months to August 2024 has declined by more than 30% year-on-year and is the lowest in nine years.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has made Amazon conservation a priority for the country, which will host the UN COP30 climate conference in Belem this November.
The European Climate Observatory - Copernicus - pointed out last month that unprecedented drought in 2024 has created conditions for an increase in forest fires in South America. | BGNES
