There are massive wildfires burning all over the world right now. In Siberia, more than 54,000 square kilometres are currently consumed in flames.
Greenland and Alaska are also ablaze. But inarguably the worst raging fire at the moment is in the Amazon.
Images courtesy: Reuters
The Amazon rainforest is the largest tropical forest in the world. It's also constantly beset on all sides by loggers, farmers, builders, and more, all cutting down trees. According to reports we lost 740 square kilometres of it in just a month back in June. And all of this deforestation leads to temperature rises that can spark wildfires.?
In this case though, most of the 72,843 wildfires so far this year are suspected to have been caused by humans.
And we really need to worry about this because we can't survive without the Amazon.
The Amazon covers over 5.5 million square kilometres. That's big enough to fit India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Bangladesh, and still have plenty of room left over.
The Amazon has a vast network of hundreds of waterways stretching 6,840 km. The Amazon river is considered the second longest river in the world after the Nile, delivering 55 million gallons of water into the Atlantic.
Thanks to all the tree cover, the Amazon produces between 20 to 25 percent of the world's oxygen. That's why they're called the "Lungs of the Earth".
The Amazon has an incredibly rich ecosystem. Scientists estimate it's home to about 430 different types of mammals, 40,000 plant species, 1,300 bird species, 3,000 types of fish, and a staggering 2.5 million different insects. And those are just the species we know about. All of them, are dependent on the rainforest for their survival.
Deforestation rates have been rising in the Amazon, with about 740 square kilometres of tree cover lost in just one month this year. It's estimated an area roughly the size of a football field? is cleared out in the forest every minute.
Loggers in the are usually start fires to cover their illegal logging activities. Farmers are also suspected to light fires when they cut trees, so the ash can temporarily enrich the soil and produce nutritious pasture grass for their cattle after the first rains.
Thanks to the deforestation and global warming in general, temperatures have been rising in the Amazon region, and precipitation has been dropping. This makes an ideal situation for natural wildfires to break out, and there have been more than ever before this year.
It's estimated the Amazon has been deforested by 15 percent from its earlier state. If and when it reaches a 25 percent loss, scientists are worried there won't be enough trees to cycle water through the forests. At that point the whole forest will die out and shrivel up into a savannah instead.