Despite Brazil's efforts: The 'lungs' of the Amazon are still engulfed in flames
Brazil has deployed two Hercules C-130 aircraft, carrying tens of thousands of liters of water to dump on some areas of the Amazon forest in the city of Porto Velho, Rondonia state, which is currently engulfed in a "sea of fire".
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| Smoke rises from a fire in the Amazon rainforest in Porto Velho, Rondonia state, northwestern Brazil, August 24, 2019. Source: AFP/TTXVN |
The Amazon rainforest fires are getting worse as the number of new fires continues to rise, despite the efforts of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's administration to save the "lungs" of the planet.
On August 25, Brazil deployed two Hercules C-130 aircraft, carrying tens of thousands of liters of water to dump on some areas of the Amazon forest in the city of Porto Velho, Rondonia state, which are engulfed in a "sea of fire".
According to Brazilian officials, in the face of the dangerous Amazon forest fire situation, President Bolsonaro has ordered military units in seven Brazilian states, including Rondonia, to participate in firefighting. Currently, more than 43,000 Brazilian soldiers stationed in this forest area are on standby.
60% of the Amazon rainforest is located in Brazil and the remaining area of this forest stretches across 8 other countries and territories including Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.
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As many forest fires broke out in the Amazon region bordering Brazil and Bolivia, black smoke covered the entire sky there. In that context, Bolivian President Evo Morales said on August 25 that he would accept help from the international community in fighting the Amazon forest fires. Previously, the US, UK and France announced their readiness to support the affected countries.
According to the latest report from the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE), as of August 24, Brazil recorded 78,383 forest fires - the highest since 2013. More than half of these occurred in the Amazon, home to more than 20 million people.
With an area of about 7 million km2, The Amazon is the world's largest tropical rainforest and plays a vital role in the fight against climate change thanks to its ability to absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide emissions. Considered the "lungs" of the planet, the Amazon provides about 20% of the oxygen on Earth, is home to about 1 million indigenous people from 500 tribes as well as "home" to more than 3 million species of animals and plants. Therefore, scientists and environmental experts are particularly concerned about the serious consequences of this forest fire disaster.
