New York, September 25 (EFE) - The Amazon is experiencing an "unprecedented crisis" due to devastating wildfires and the worst drought recorded in 121 years, warned various representatives of indigenous peoples from South America during a press conference in New York, where they called for international action.
"Our forests are burning, our rivers are drying up, our communities are suffering. The world must act now to protect the Amazon and all vital ecosystems of South America, not just for us, but for the future of the entire planet," lamented Brazilian indigenous leader Raoni Metuktire.
Representatives from indigenous peoples in Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, and Paraguay, along with a coalition of socio-environmental organizations, urged the international community to address this emergency and support their communities facing multiple threats.
This Wednesday, the report 'Amazonia on the Brink of Collapse' was presented, prepared by the Coordinadora de Pueblos Indígenas de la Amazonía Brasileña (Coiab), which describes 2024 as the year that has surpassed all historical records of drought, temperature, and river levels, becoming the most critical scenario recorded in the region.
Data from NASA's Fire Information for Resource Management System reveals that as of September 17, more than 2.4 million hotspots have been recorded across 13 countries.
"They are burning life. This awareness must reach every living being," stated Patricia Gualinga, a rights defender from the Kichwa community of Sarayaku in Ecuador.
The situation is particularly dramatic in Brazil, where compared to the same period in 2023, areas affected by extreme and severe drought have increased by 620%, rising from 21.5 million to 155 million hectares in 2024.
There are 149 indigenous territories in the Brazilian Amazon experiencing severe or extreme drought, with 42 of them facing extreme drought.
For instance, wildfires have affected 180,000 hectares of native forests and ranches in the Chovoreca area, located in Chaco Boreal, on the border between Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay, resulting in the near-total loss of the Ayoreo Garaigosode indigenous territory.
"Our territory and our brothers in isolation are in grave danger. How will we protect our brothers if our lives are also at risk?" questioned Tagüide Picanerai from the Ayoreo people of Paraguay.
In the last five years, according to the Regional Amazon Observatory, 447,517 hectares of the Amazon have burned. The most affected countries are Brazil with 112,319 hectares and Bolivia with 52,259.
Specifically in Bolivia, between January 1 and September 17, 2024, 657,222 hotspots were recorded, an increase of over 600% compared to the same period in 2023. The observatory also reported that just in the last week, these countries have lost 4,639 and 504 hectares of their Amazon, respectively.