Prolonged droughts and above-average temperatures have aggravated the situation of wildfires in the country. In addition to climatic conditions, there is evidence of criminal human activities in some areas. In the global context, Brasil is a prominent voice in the G20, advocating for actions to reduce the damage caused by climate change.
The wildfires in Brasil, especially in August, present an alarming scenario with a significant increase in fire outbreaks in several regions of the country. In states such as Mato Grosso, Pará, Amazonas and São Paulo, fire outbreaks were not restricted to adverse weather conditions. Human activities also prevailed. Recently, the spread of a large amount of smoke over wide areas of Brasil gained international media attention, highlighting the seriousness of the situation.
Fire outbreaks are strongly linked to the prolonged droughts affecting large parts of the country. Recent information indicates that rain has occurred irregularly since the beginning of autumn, an essential period for maintaining soil and vegetation moisture. The lack of rain, alongside with above-average temperatures during autumn and winter, creates a favorable environment for fires to spread. The result of these factors not only reduces vegetation moisture, making it highly flammable, but also facilitates the rapid spread of flames, with devastating consequences for entire ecosystems and air quality.
In response to the increase in fire outbreaks, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, stressed the suspicions of criminal activities are related to the fires. The Federal Police is conducting investigations and has already opened 31 inquiries to identify the origins of the wildfires, including two in São Paulo, where more than 30% of the outbreaks registered on August 23 and 24 were detected. The government acts to reinforce wildfire control and prevention, seeking coordinated and integrated actions to mitigate environmental impacts and preserve Brazilian ecosystems.
"We could not detect any wildfires caused by lightning. This means that there are people setting fire to the Amazonia, the Pantanal and especially the state of São Paulo", said Lula. In São Paulo alone, 2,191 fire outbreaks were registered in a period of just 48 hours, which represents about 42% of the outbreaks in the state in 2024. Minister Marina Silva emphasized that federal efforts are mobilized to fight wildfires and strictly punish criminal actions related to the use of fire.
Government actions in Brasil to prevent and control wildfires
With the resurgence of environmental governance since 2023, the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) and the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) mobilized more than 3,000 brigade members across the country, including 1,468 in the Amazonia, which faces the worst drought in the last 40 years. In São Paulo, the federal government is supporting the control and monitoring of the affected areas with the use of six aircraft, including a KC-390 plane equipped to drop water, and the deployment of approximately 400 military personnel in the region. Other measures include the sanctioning of the National Policy for Integrated Fire Management, which prohibits the use of fire for deforestation or suppression of native vegetation, except in controlled fires.
Climate crisis and financing are prominent topics in the central debate of the G20
The climate issue has been one of the main topics under discussion at the G20 Brasil. The theme goes through the Working Groups on Climate and Environmental Sustainability, Agriculture, Energy Transitions and the Global Mobilization Task Force against Climate Change. The discussions on how to tackle the threats are being guided by the proposals of the Brazilian presidency of the G20, among different ministries and nations.
"We could not detect any wildfires caused by lightning. This means that there are people setting fire to the Amazonia, the Pantanal and especially the state of São Paulo", said Lula. In São Paulo alone, 2,191 fire outbreaks were registered in a period of just 48 hours, which represents about 42% of the outbreaks in the state in 2024. Minister Marina Silva emphasized that federal efforts are mobilized to fight wildfires and strictly punish criminal actions related to the use of fire.
Experts participating in the G20 agendas point out that the effects of climate change pose an additional risk to nature, people's lives and the world economy, especially in coastal zones, which could be affected by sea level rise. Concerning this problem, which affects the entire planet, G20 meetings and debates highlight the importance of domestic and international partnerships to find solutions and mobilize efforts to reduce these risks.
In the case of Brasil, floods in the south and droughts in the northern states impact the environment and infrastructure. To prevent the escalation, the Brazilian government is developing a new Climate Plan, focused on areas such as industry, agriculture and land use. As a result, the country is leading the global effort to prevent the global temperature from rising beyond 1.5ºC, as established by the Paris Agreement. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, mainly through deforestation control and low-carbon farming practices, is considered essential. Although gas emissions have decreased since 2005, deforestation increased again in 2018, but decreased by 50% in 2023. The new Climate Plan, with goals to be achieved until 2050, aims to support this transition to a low-carbon economy and achieve climate neutrality.
