Brazil’s natural areas shrink, worsening El Nino impact
Different parts of Brazil are bracing for droughts, floods and fires as the El Niño weather pattern is expected to intensify towards the end of the year.
Brazil has witnessed a dramatic decline in native vegetation over the past four decades, with an area more than twice the size of France lost, according to a study by environmental monitoring network MapBiomas. This reduction in vegetation has increased the country's vulnerability to extreme weather events, especially those brought about by the El Nino weather pattern.
In its latest annual report, MapBiomas revealed that native vegetation, which once covered 79 percent of Brazil's territory, is now limited to just 65 percent.
The most significant losses have been observed in the Amazon rainforest and the biodiverse Cerrado savanna. A large portion of the affected land was converted for agricultural or livestock purposes, which now make up 32 percent of Brazil's territory, up from 18 percent in 1985. The MapBiomas analysis also showed that areas where native vegetation had been replaced by agriculture are more susceptible to weather extremes during El Nino events.
Tasso Azevedo, the general coordinator of MapBiomas, stated that deforested areas of the Amazon experienced a more substantial drop in rainfall compared to forested areas during the intense 2023-2024 El Nino.
In the southern grasslands, excess rainfall was recorded compared to areas of native vegetation. The southern state of Rio Grande do Sul experienced historic floods in 2024, resulting in around 200 deaths. While the study does not delve into the reasons behind the varying impacts, Azevedo proposed that the removal of forest in the Amazon could reduce evapotranspiration and local air humidity, leading to heightened temperatures and reduced rainfall. El Nino then amplifies the effects of this altered environment.
Brazil's government has warned of a "very strong El Nino" this year, with Pacific Ocean sea-surface temperatures projected to exceed two degrees above average. This warming can significantly influence global weather patterns. The Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA) has also cautioned that a "super El Nino" could negatively impact crops like coffee, soy, and sugar.
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