Question: Recently Amazon rainforest which caught fire and is at risk of getting burn out completely is located in which continent?
(a) South America
(b) Europe
(c) Australia
(d) Africa
Answer: (a)
Related facts:
- Amazon rainforest, the world’s largest rain forest is at the risk of getting burned out completely in South American Continent.
- The rainforest, which contributes almost 20 percent of the earth’s oxygen, has been burning for over 18 days resulting in a major loss of trees and biodiversity.
- Amazon rainforest fire impact can already be seen in different regions in South America including the Atlantic coast and Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city.
Cause of forest fire:
- Though forest fires are common in the Amazon during this dry season in the southern Amazon.
- The worrisome fact is that the burning has increased at a time when there is a huge decrease in the rates of deforestation in Brazilian Amazon.
- According to environmentalists, 99 percent of the forest fires are a result of human actions, either on purpose or by accident. Farmers and ranchers use fire generally to clear the land for further utilization which also fit perfectly into the established seasonal agricultural pattern.
- Farmers generally wait for the dry season to start burning and clearing areas so that their cattle can graze.
Impact:
- There have been around 72,843 forest fires in Brazil in 2019 itself (which is 80 percent more than the previous year) with more than half in the Amazon rainforest.
- According to scientists, the Amazon rainforest fire could deliver a huge blow to the global fight against climate change. The fire will not only result in a major loss of trees and biodiversity but also release excess CO2 into the atmosphere.
- The forest fires also release pollutants including particulate matter and toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and non-methane organic compounds into the atmosphere.
- Amazon rainforest, considered to be as the planet’s lungs as it is vital to slow down global warming. The rainforest is currently home to uncountable species of fauna and flora.
- While the immediate impact of the fire would be changes in the heating of the regional atmosphere, in the long term it is expected to lead to a potential decline in natural carbon.
About Amazon Rainforest
• The Amazon rainforest is the largest rainforest on Earth.
• The rainforest is home to 40 percent of the world’s tropical forest and holds 20 percent of the world’s freshwater supply.
• It is also home to 10 percent of the world’s species and 40,000 plant species and around 3000 varieties of edible fruits.
• Further, the Amazon rainforest is also the natural habitat of 430 species of mammals and millions of insect species.
Links:
https://www.jagranjosh.com/current-affairs/amazon-rainforest-fire-cause-and-global-impact-1566462374-1
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/nasa-share-satellite-pic-of-smoke-covering-brazil-amazon-rainforest-fire-becomes-most-trending-topic/articleshow/70786023.cms
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/08/23/amazon-rainforest-fire-international-crisis-emmanuel-macron-says/2093574001/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-49433767
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_rainforest