The fires smoldered as scientist Dr. Erika Berenguer worked in the Amazon rainforest in November The fires hissed. An unnatural charred scent permeated the air. Erika Berenguer measuring an Amazonian tree.
A Brazilian native and senior researcher at the University of Oxford, Berenguer stayed until December that year. She returns annually for six months, so was in the Amazon again in when more fires burned. She developed pneumonia from inhaling the smoke, as well as a trauma-related gastric condition. The event spurred her determination to fire-proof the 1. The rainforest stores billion tons of greenhouse gas in its soil and trees.
It has already lost about 17 percent of its natural vegetation. In Brazil, The Amazon has become drier over the last 40 years, and the dry season now lasts up to fifteen days longer than it used to, a recent study shows.
But even in relatively parched periods, the Amazon is too wet to burn without the spark of human activity. Many fires are intentionally lit to clear forests or manage pastures. Some start unintentionally from electrical equipment or discarded cigarettes. In periods of extreme drought, these fires can get inside the uncleared forest.
Erika Berenguer on top of a canopy tower in the Brazilian Amazon. Photo Credit Dr. Berenguer said stronger policies may be needed to enforce environmental protection. For its inaugural year, the fellowship is supporting 16 leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean who are developing scalable climate solutions to improve the lives of underserved communities.
