While there is no direct impact on Guyana from the raging fires in the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil, we should lend support in whatever little way we can, says Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman.
The minister, during a press conference earlier today at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre in Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, said that any government — particularly those in the Amazonian Region — should be very concerned because the conditions that led to those fires could occur here.
“We all should be concerned. We all should extend our support to Brazil to ensure that those fires are brought under control. I know, from time to time, we do have forest fires — which are naturally occurring — but the scale in which we see the fires in Brazil does lead us to in fact be concerned. So, as a government we are concerned,” the minister said.
This occurrence has also cast a light on Guyana’s monitoring of its forests.
“We continue monitoring our own forests to ensure that we don’t have any similar occurrences. We do our own monitoring. Thankfully, we have good satellite coverage of our forests under our engagement with Norway [so] we’ll be able to spot if there is anything of concern. At this time, we don’t see any direct impact.”
According to USA Today, the Amazon is burning at an alarming rate as tens of thousands of fires lay waste to the world’s largest tropical rainforest.
Brazil’s National Institute of Space Research said there have been 74,155 fires in the Amazon this year as of Tuesday, according to its satellite data. This is an 84% increase from the same period last year, the news agency stated.
The Amazon is often called “the lungs of the world,” absorbing greenhouse gases that would otherwise harm the planet. It also is home to a number of indigenous peoples who rely on the forest’s resources.
