A Rainforest Without Rain: Communities in the Amazon Grapple with the Impacts of Extreme Drought and FiresÂ
This drought is the worst in four decades and is contributing to an alarming number of wildfires this year raging across multiple regions throughout the Amazon and posing a threat to Indigenous and local communities and some of the world’s most vital ecosystems.
IMAGE CREDIT: Federico Gutierrez Panduro/Rainforest Foundation US
Amazon On Fire: 2024 Sees Highest Number of Fires in 20 Years
In a troubling trend, the Amazon registered a 43.2% increase in fire hotspots during the same seven month period (January – July) from 2023 to 2024. According to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE). The Amazon registered 20,221 fire hotspots through July 2024, the highest number for this period since 2005.
Brazil Amazon Fires: 26 Million Acres Scorched in 2023, Up 35.4% from Previous Year
A staggering 26.4 million acres of Brazil’s Amazon were scorched in 2023, a 35.4% increase from the previous year. Deforestation from agriculture and cattle-ranching is a main driver of forest fires in the Amazon.
Fires in the Amazon Shift with the Seasons, and Rage On
Rainforest Foundation US analyzes Amazon fire data from 2019 and 2020. Indigenous peoples’ traditional land management practices lower the risk of extreme forest fires.
Video: Rainforest Foundation US 2019 Year In Review
Rainforest Foundation US Senior Geographer, Cameron Ellis, shares an overview of the major victories of Rainforest Foundation US in 2019.
Video: We Stand with Communities on the Frontlines
A video message from a community in Menkragnoti Territory calling for solidarity in the fight against deforestation.
Statement from the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities
A statement by the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities expressing its disapproval of the Brazilian government’s response to the Amazon fires.
Three Thoughts on the Fires in the Amazon
RFUS explains why the Amazon is burning, and what we and our indigenous partners are doing about it.
