The largest floodplain in the world, the Pantanal is experiencing one of the worst periods in its history, with the advance of forest fires in the two states where it is located: Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul. Of the 15 million hectares, the total area of the biome, 1.55 million have already been affected by fire.
With the significant reduction in fires in this state, the actions were extended to the northern portion of the Pantanal, in Mato Grosso, which corresponds to one third of the biome. According to satellite mapping, most of the fires are currently concentrated in the region of Poconé, Barão de Melgaço and an area in Porto Jofre, on the border of the two states, which total 320 thousand hectares, to date.
In Mato Grosso, where the largest Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN Sesc Pantanal) is located, a unit of the Sesc Pantanal Socio-Environmental Center, 44 of the 108 thousand hectares have already been consumed by fire.
The action is unprecedented and carried out by the Integrated Multi-Agency Center for National Operational Coordination (Ciman), Environmental Emergency Battalion of the Mato Grosso Military Fire Department, Brazilian Navy, Brazilian Air Force, Mato Grosso do Sul Military Fire Department, State Secretariat for the Environment, UFMT and Sesc Pantanal Socio-Environmental Center.
The resources used in the operation include the Brazilian Navy's Super Cougar (UH-15), the FAB's Black Hawk (UH-60), two Air Tractor aircraft from the Fire Department, an aircraft from Sesc Pantanal, pickup trucks, vans, water trucks, ATVs, dampers, backpack pumps, blowers and a Mobile Rescue Unit. More than 2 million liters of water have already been used in 10 days of operation, which involves more than 100 people and has an indefinite duration.
Impacts of fires
The pioneering conservation work in the Poconé Pantanal by the National Department of Sesc began 24 years ago, with the creation of the RPPN, shortly after the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Also known as Eco-92, it brought together more than 100 heads of state to discuss forms of sustainable development, a relatively new concept at the time.
The area of the RPPN Sesc Pantanal represents 2% of the Pantanal in Mato Grosso, which gives an idea of the importance of the area for the biome. Therefore, there are many impacts on the different elements that compose it.
As for vegetation, since the Pantanal is heavily influenced by various types of cerrado physiognomy, some areas are more resistant to fire and others are less resistant to fire. Where there is less resistance to fire, there will be more difficulty in regeneration, which are the wetter areas. Those places with drier forests, with more defense mechanisms, which are closer to the cerrado, will regenerate faster, but even so, it is not possible to detail the time scale because it is a large area.
Regarding animals, insects are suffering a significant loss during this time of fire, because they are animals that do not have long-range mobility. Many of them are pollinators, so it can even impact the development of plants. Reptiles are also suffering losses, because they are animals that do not have much mobility and end up being consumed by the fire, both the animals and the nests with eggs and chicks. Birds can even migrate from one environment to another, but nests and roosts are lost, which represents the loss of a generation, since we are right in the breeding season of the blue macaw and the tuiuiú. In addition to affecting the nests and roosts of these animals, it also affects the availability of food resources. The blue macaw, for example, feeds on acuri, which is found in areas that were affected by the fire, both in the reserve and in the surrounding area, such as the São Francisco Farm, for example.
Some mammals manage to take refuge and escape the fires, but this causes another problem, as they begin to seek refuge in communities and cities. And many of them, even when they escape, lose their sense of direction because of the smoke and heat, and their respiratory tracts are damaged. They escape the fire, but there is a risk of getting sick in that environment, which reduces their ability to survive.
In its 24 years of existence, more than 70 research projects have been carried out in the RPPN. Those that are currently underway are currently compromised. The jaguar research project, for example, already had specific monitoring sites, and many of them were affected by the fires.
After the fire of 1998, which affected practically the entire area of the reserve (at that time it was a slightly smaller area than it is today), this is the biggest fire in the history of the RPPN.
Since this first experience, there have been 20 years of improvement in technologies for fighting and preventing fires, which takes place in all seasons, based on the prevention and fighting plan, which includes monitoring, community support and an awareness campaign for riverside dwellers.
