Globe
warms: rainforests burn
12 September 2006 - International
— In what is becoming an annual event, fires are
sweeping through the tropical rainforests of Indonesia
and Brazil. The burning of the rainforests not
only threaten biodiversity in the affected areas
but, by contributing towards climate change, they
also put the entire planet at risk.
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.
