Fires Threaten Brazil's Pantanal Wetlands, Largest Tropical Wetlands; 770k Hectares Burnt, Long-term Wildlife Risk

Fires in Brazil's Pantanal wetlands, the world's largest tropical wetlands, have burned over 770k hectares, threatening jaguars, houses, and plants. The fires pose a long-term risk to wildlife. Wildfires have also caused severe losses in timber-producing forests. Experts warn that if the extractivist development model in the Amazon persists, a France-sized area of rainforest could be destroyed by 2050. Protection measures have had modest impact on forest cover, with stronger effects in areas facing economic development pressure.