Climate Adaptation
World’s Largest Wetland Has Worst October Fires on Record
- Brazil’s Pantanal biome burns at record pace this year
- It’s home to 1,200 animal species, some on verge of extinction
The Pantanal, which spans about 210,000 square kilometers (81,100 square miles), has been burning at an extraordinary rate through 2020.
Photographer: Jonne Roriz/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands, a fragile cradle of endangered species, burned at the fastest rate for the month of October since record keeping started in 1998, further damaging the country’s environmental credentials.
At least 2,846 fire spots have been registered this month in the biome, surpassing a previous 2002 record, according to data from Brazil’s Spacial Research Institute, known as INPE. So far this year, an area larger than the size of Belgium has been lost to the flames.