Overview

• Wildfires in 2024 burned over 22 million hectares in Brazil alone, a 150% increase compared to the same period in 2023, with severe impacts also reported in Canada and the United States.
• The EU Copernicus program identified these fires as a major contributor to record-breaking global CO2 emissions, exacerbating the climate crisis.
• Smoke from the fires caused hazardous air quality in cities like Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Brasilia, with effects felt on a continental scale.
• The Pantanal wetland, shared by Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay, faced unprecedented fire activity, threatening biodiversity and ecosystems.
• Nicaragua and Bolivia recorded their highest carbon emissions from wildfires in history, highlighting the escalating environmental toll of extreme drought conditions.