AMAZON FOREST FIRES

AMAZON forest is found in South American Continent covering around 9 nations namely Brazil, Peru , Ecuador , Colombia , Venezuela , Guyana , French Guiana , Suriname and Bolivia . The maximum part of forest lies in Brazil (approx. 60 percent) being the largest country in the continent.

AMAZON FOREST IN MAP OF SOUTH AMERICA

• Amazon forest is the largest Tropical Rainforest in the world
• It has 10 percent of the known species of the world
• 1500 species of birds
•  80% of food comes from Amazon
•  25% of pharmaceutical ingredient
•  2,50000 natives belong to the forest
•  Still 50 uncontacted tribes are present there
• Around 170 languages are spoken
• Causes 50-75% of world’s precipitation 
• 70% of South America's economy depends on it
• Stores approximately 100 years of carbon emission

But despite being the largest biodiversity Hotspot in the World these forests are losing itself under Anthropogenic Pressure.

• 20% of forest has already disappeared
• 1.5 acres is disappearing per second
• 137 species are getting extinct everyday

All these issues continue to prevail but what has added to its distress is the current FOREST FIRES. Although forest fires are not uncommon in drier seasons but it has multiplied within an year and has broken all the records this year. There is 84% increase in forest fires this year and is still continuing. 

FOREST FIRE IN AMAZON 

The main reason highlighted for all such fires in the area is mainly human activities like agriculture and development, since the area is too wet to catch fire due to dryness. The region is inhabited by various tribes who still believe in traditional practices and clear a patch of forest every time before cultivation, since there is a demand of more and more land.

The unending forest fires currently in amazon has several adverse consequences like:

• Loss of species biodiversity
• Many species will be homeless and this might aggravate the rate of extinction
• Will hamper the day to day life of indigenous people
• Secondary succession will take time to evolve and till then the areas under fire will serve to no economical purpose except agriculture
• Release of huge amount of carbon in the atmosphere which will enhance the global warming across the globe
• Loss of upper tree cover will expose the forest to direct sunlight which might lead to drying

The adversaries highlight a global issue which must be tackled together. International bodies and groupings like G7 Countries have pledged to help Brazil to overcome this crisis.  More of such voluntary efforts are needed to prevent ‘our lung’ from dyeing. Moreover the local governments need to act pragmatically with the help of expertise to end up the fire.

Additionally, we as a part of the same globe must take a lesson from this unfortunate situation that environment must be protected at any cost, else it will give an equal and opposite reaction (as per newton’s law).

According to Mahatma Gandhi,

“the Earth has enough for our Needs but not our Greed “

Let’s stop a minute and think over these meaningful lines. Let’s turn back the clock and look into the Bounty of Amazon and all such Forest Areas that are continuously facing threats due to the superior Human race.