More fires now raging in central Africa than Amazon
Blazes raging in the Amazon have put heat on the environmental policies of President Jair Bolsonaro, but Brazil is actually third in the world in wildfires over the last 48 hours, according to MODIS satellite data analysed by Weather Source.
Weather Source has recorded 6,902 fires in Angola over the past 48 hours, compared to 3,395 in the Democratic Republic of Congo and 2,127 in Brazil.
It’s not an uncommon phenomenon for Central Africa.
According to NASA, which operates the Aqua satellite, over 67,000 fires were reported in a one-week period in June last year, as farmers employed slash and burn agriculture to clear land for crops in those countries.
Over the last 48 hours, Zambia placed fourth on the list, while Brazil’s neighbour in the Amazon, Bolivia, placed sixth. – BLOOMBERG
