A Greenpeace team has investigated and documented the forest fires in Sumatra, Indonesia, which have now become an annual phenomenon, thanks to the effects of unsustainable logging, and are the cause of a thick smog-like haze over the entire region which threatens the health of millions of people and adds to the problem of climate change.
In tropical latitudes, months pass without any rain and in the
dry season forests become susceptible to fire. These can occur
naturally and would normally not pose a serious problem, but
clearing land as a result of logging or to make way for plantations
is exacerbating the problem and every year the fires spread faster
and further.
Greenpeace teams in both Indonesia and Brazil have recorded the
scale of the infernos and are clear about the reasons why they are
happening. Much of the forests in the Indonesian province of Riau
in Sumatra are peatland forests, so normally protected from fire by
their boggy environment, but industrial activity has changed all
that. The forests are being cleared for plantations of oil palms
and acacia pulpwood for paper, creating the perfect conditions for
fires at the same time.
"Once these peat swamps are exposed due to logging," Greenpeace
forest campaigner Hapsoro explained, "they dry out like a wet
sponge exposed to sunlight and become extremely flammable. Once it
starts burning, it's very difficult to stop without heavy
rain."
The effects of the Indonesian fire also spread across the
region. Smoke drifts across South East Asia, clogging the air above
the Malaysian peninsular and incurring the wrath of neighbouring
governments, and Hapsoro urged the Indonesian authorities to take
urgent measures. "The Indonesian government must seriously
reconsider allowing any type of land clearing to be done in these
areas to minimise the possibility of large and uncontrolled forest
fires," he said.
In the Brazilian Amazon, fires have been witnessed in several
protected areas and the Greenpeace team sent to investigate also
saw rampant deforestation and illegal logging. In the Jamanzim
National Forest, using natural resources responsibly is permitted,
but intense logging activity has been observed within protected
areas.
Both regions boast some of the most diverse varieties of plant
and animal life anywhere in the world but fragile habitats, already
under pressure from human activities, are being pushed even harder
by the increasing number and scale of the fires.
Rest of the world suffers too
Rainforests play a vital role in regulating the global climate
and the more trees that are felled, the more unpredictable the
climate will become.
Tropical deforestation accounts for around 20 percent of global
carbon dioxide emissions, a staggering amount that explains why 75
percent of Brazil's own carbon dioxide contribution comes from
forest conversion.
But with drought plaguing many areas - such as last year's
catastrophic event in the Amazon - the forests dry out and become
even more susceptible to fire. This in turn releases more carbon
dioxide and smog into the atmosphere, accelerating climate change
and the cycle of destruction continues.
This isn't just a problem for Brazil and Indonesia but for the
whole planet. Concrete efforts must be made at a local level to
protect rainforests from illegal logging and conversion to
plantations, but there must also be international support to back
this up. Sustainable management of the forests allows local
communities to support themselves and make a living.
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