Brazil’s Pantanal, the largest tropical wetland on Earth, is facing unprecedented fires, with June setting historical records for the month.
Aerial views of the Pantanal reveal smoke plumes and glowing orange flames. Closer inspection shows charred remains of wildlife, including an alligator, monkey, and snake, as captured by Reuters earlier this week.
Brazil’s National Institute of Space Research (INPE) has recorded 733 fires in the Pantanal biome so far this month, surpassing the previous June record of 435 fires set in 2005.
Mato Grosso do Sul, which encompasses 60% of the Brazilian Pantanal, is under a “danger” warning for a heat wave expected to bring temperatures 5ºC above average for the next three to five days, according to Brazil’s National Meteorological Institute (INMET).
The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) Brazil has warned that 2024 could become the worst year on record for the Pantanal, as the dry season is just beginning. The number of fires this year has already increased by 898% compared to the same period in 2023, based on INPE’s data.
“It is necessary to act quickly reinforcing [fire] brigades and counting with the support of the local communities to avoid a catastrophe,” said Cynthia Santos, conservation analyst for WWF Brazil, in a statement.
The Pantanal’s unique habitats depend on the “flood pulse,” a seasonal flooding pattern that transforms large swaths of land from terrestrial to aquatic habitats and back again. This cycle is critical for the wetland’s biodiversity and ecological balance.
Wetlands like the Pantanal are vital carbon sinks, absorbing and storing more carbon than they release. Spanning approximately 200,000 square kilometers, the Pantanal accounts for about 3% of the world’s wetlands and plays a crucial role in the global carbon cycle. When these ecosystems burn, they release vast amounts of heat-trapping gases, exacerbating the greenhouse effect.
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Pantanal hosts the highest concentration of wildlife in South America, surpassing even the Amazon. It is home to thousands of endangered or unusual species, including jaguars, capybaras, black caimans, giant otters, and hyacinth macaws. The region is also a key stop for around 180 species of migratory birds.
“The Pantanal is very important for the planet; it has unique wild areas that are fundamental to life on Earth,” said Andre Luiz Siqueira, CEO of ECOA, an environmental NGO based in Mato Grosso do Sul, in an interview with CNN in 2020.
The Pantanal is currently facing a “hydrological crisis” due to an intense drought that began in 2023 and has been worsened by the ongoing El Niño phenomenon, according to ECOA.
Wildfires are a natural occurrence in the Pantanal, with some plants evolving fire-resistant adaptations such as thick bark or hard seed shells. However, the scale of the current fires is destroying unique habitats and threatening the livelihoods of the Pantanal’s diverse indigenous communities, reminiscent of the devastating fires of 2020.