2020 Pantanal Wetlands Fires
Environmental eventAbout
The 2020 Pantanal wetlands fires were a catastrophic environmental event that severely impacted the world's largest tropical freshwater wetland. The fires burned approximately 30% of the Brazilian portion of the Pantanal, exceeding 40,000 km². This unprecedented disaster was exacerbated by an extreme drought, which reduced rainfall by 26% compared to the average from 1982 to 2020. The drought dried out wetlands, making them vulnerable to fires that primarily occurred in natural land covers, including areas that typically remain flooded. The fires had devastating consequences for biodiversity, killing an estimated 17 million animals and affecting species like the jaguar. Smoke from the fires also posed health risks to nearby populations. Human activities, such as arson for cattle ranching, contributed to the spread of fires. The event highlighted the need for better fire management and conservation policies to protect this critical ecosystem from future crises.
