A correspondent for the British broadcaster BBC has travelled to Brazil to cover the fires in the Amazon rainforest. In images shot from a helicopter, vast areas of forest can be seen burning, while some regions are entirely covered in smoke.
Record numbers of fires in the Amazon rainforest were reported this week. Critics blame the country’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, for the record increase in the number of fires, saying he does not halt deforestation and encourages farmers to expand their territories.
Following criticism from the international community, the country’s authorities have sent armed forces to carry out firefighting operations.
French President Emmanuel Macron has called the forest fires an international crisis and accused Bolsonaro of failing to meet his commitments on climate issues.
European Council President Donald Tusk, for his part, has stated that the organisation is ready to provide material assistance to Brazil in the fight against the fires in the Amazon forests. US President Donald Trump has also expressed similar readiness.
The Amazon rainforest is the largest in the world and is of vital importance in absorbing emissions of various gases. It also slows global warming.
