Extreme drought and rampant wildfires ravaged the Amazon rainforest in 2024, marking the worst year for fires since 2005. The fires, exacerbated by a warming climate, contributed to deforestation, with authorities suspecting some fires were intentionally set for land clearance. This alarming situation highlights the urgent need for conservation efforts and sustainable land management practices to protect this vital ecosystem.
A second year of record drought contributed to wildfires that worsened deforestation across the massive forest, which spans Brazil, Peru, Colombia and other Latin American nations and is a critical counterweight to climate change .2024 was a brutal year for the Amazon rainforest, with rampant wildfires and extreme drought ravaging large parts of a biome that’s a critical counterweight to climate change .
“If the Amazon rainforest is to avoid the tipping point, Indigenous people will have been a determinant factor," Miller said. “It’s impossible to overlook the threat posed by organized crime and the economies they control to Amazon conservation,” said Bram Ebus, a consultant for Crisis Group in Latin America. “Illegal gold mining is expanding rapidly, driven by soaring global prices, and the revenues of illicit economies often surpass state budgets allocated to combat them.”
Cesar Ipenza, an environmental lawyer who lives in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon, said he believes people are becoming increasingly aware of the Amazon's fundamental role “for the survival of society as a whole." But, like Miller, he worries about a “point of no return of Amazon destruction.” The United Nations conference on biodiversity — this year known as COP16 — was hosted by Colombia. The meetings put the Amazon in the spotlight and a historic agreement was made to give Indigenous groups more of a voice on nature conservation decisions, a development that builds on a growing movement to recognize Indigenous people's role in protecting land and combating climate change.
Amazon Rainforest Deforestation Wildfires Drought Climate Change
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