El Niño may exacerbate deforestation threat in the Brazilian Amazon, experts warn

Scientists warn that the onset of “El Niño” could potentially escalate the deforestation crisis in the Brazilian Amazon and other biomes.

This is typically worsened during the dry season when vegetation is often burned. This year, with the convergence of El Niño and high deforestation rates, experts fear a “perfect storm” scenario leading to increased biome destruction.

Therefore, they suggest Brazil needs to expedite actions and regulate its national policy of rural fire management.

Despite four years of eroding environmental policies, the Ministry of Environment assures the new management at the Brazilian Environmental Institute (Ibama) is equipped to combat and prevent forest fires.

Scientists also advocate for concentrating efforts on forest degradation, a subsequent issue to deforestation, which could lead to irreversible forest damage.

El Niño is marked by above-average Pacific Ocean warming, trade wind circulation changes, increased temperatures, and exacerbated hot and dry weather in the north.

These conditions intensify the risk of fires spreading in the Amazon, thus adding to the deforestation threat.

Experts emphasize the need to reduce deforestation and the agricultural use of fire, as these activities drive deforestation.

Furthermore, a national regulation policy to counteract these practices awaits Senate plenary analysis.

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