A team of scientists analysing the effectiveness of fire bans in Brazil say they are not working.
Dr Manoela Machado, Researcher at the Environmental Change Institute (ECI) studied the Bolsonaro government’s three bans from 2019 to 2021. The team concluded that the first decree succeeded in reducing the number of fires to the level expected under those same climate conditions, but that similar bans issued in July 2020 and June 2021 weren’t as effective.
Dr Manoela Machado, Researcher, ECI
The scientists list several explanations for this, including the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which limited enforcement actions in the Amazon and drew media attention away from the issue.
The conclusion didn’t surprise Dr Machado, who said a ban is far too simple an answer to a very complex problem. “It proves that the complexities of the type of fire in the Amazon need to be taken into account when designing a strategy. It’s no use having just one rule.”
Read the full article in Mongabay.
