LIMA, Oct 11 - A record number of wildfires have ravaged Peru in recent weeks, devastating ecosystems across the country, including grasslands, dry forests, coastal areas, and the Amazon rainforest.
In northern Peru, spectacled bears have fled their burning habitats, seeking refuge in nearby towns, where some have been shot by frightened residents. In the southern Amazon, jaguars have been found charred on trees, unable to escape the flames. Grasslands and wetlands, critical for water storage, have been left in ashes.
According to the Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS), approximately 10,400 fires have been reported in Peru in 2024, more than double the previous record set in 2020.
Record fires have also been observed across South America this year, with Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay experiencing the highest numbers.
“This year, more regions, ecosystems, and species have been affected,” stated Luis Zari, a legal specialist at the Peruvian Society of Environmental Law (SPDA). He attributed the widespread fires to both human actions and environmental factors, including decreased rainfall and rising temperatures following the El Niño phenomenon.
Peru's President Dina Boluarte acknowledged the lack of logistics to combat the fires when she declared a state of emergency in September. Robyn Appleton, founder of the Spectacled Bear Conservation (SBC), emphasized the dire situation, stating, “There’s nothing in Peru, that’s the problem, there’s no help.”
Alexander Moore, executive director of the SBC, highlighted that the spectacled bears, with only a few hundred remaining, are vital to the ecosystem. He noted, “Fragmentation and loss of habitat is the biggest threat to these bears.”
Moore expressed concern over recent modifications to forestry laws that have made it easier for local farmers to burn land for agriculture, exacerbating the situation. “We’re really afraid, and that’s why we’re trying to do everything we can to work with the community to deal with this because it isn’t going to stop,” he warned, stressing that prioritizing land use over environmental regulations will lead to continued devastation from extreme weather.