2020 Delta del Paraná wildfires explained

2020 Delta del Paraná wildfires
Location:Delta del Paraná, Argentina
References:-->
Total Area:90000ha
-->
Is Season:yes
Year:2020
Prev:2008 Delta del Paraná wildfires
Season Name:Delta del Paraná wildfires

The 2020 Delta del Paraná wildfires is a series of wildfires that are burning across the Delta del Paraná in Argentina, affecting mainly the Entre Ríos and Santa Fe provinces, but also Buenos Aires, including major cities as Rosario.

The first outbreaks were detected in February 2020, and new ones keep emerging until August 2020 at least.[1] [2] [3] Previously, this same area had suffered the 2008 Delta del Paraná wildfires.As of August 2020, 90000ha had burned, in over 8,000 detected fires.[4] [5] [6] [7] A 10 million pesos (US$137,934) daily cost was estimated.[8]

Context

During the first months of 2020, the Río de la Plata river basin received an unusually low amount of rain, including the Iguazú and Paraguay rivers. This even caused the Iguazú Falls to dry for a time, what created a diplomatic conflict between Argentina and Brazil, over the several dams the country operates in the northern area of the basin. Brazil ultimately decided to open the floodgates of the dam for 12 days on 18 May 2020.[9] [10] [11] [12]

This drought, which conjugated with the La Niña phenomenon, brought an historical low for the Paraná river level (the lowest level in 51 years).[13] [14] [15] Every watercourse in the De la Plata river basin registered very low levels and droughts, caused by rainfall anomalies in the northern area of the basin.

This low water level caused several problems, including trouble for big ships to navigate and export the harvest, water intakes in several cities unable to soak any water, and a big fish mortality.[16] It also made several environment-harming activities easier, such as illegal fishing and hunting, activities which in some cases involve engaging in illegal fires as well.[17] [18] [19]

But mainly, this lack of rainfalls caused a drought in the Delta del Paraná, and a lack of moisture in its abundant available plant biomass that stimulates the start and fast expansion of fires.[20]

Causes

During the summer, it was thought that the fires could be caused by people putting out cigarettes or leaving bonfires lit while on the Delta del Paraná islands, as well as by cattle ranchers trying to gain terrain.[21] [22]

Meanwhile, during 2020 farmers and ranchers in Argentina were subject of several kinds of sabotages, including silobolsas[23] being shattered and fields set into fire.[24] The agricultural sector pointed that the fires were a consequence of the higher amount of public visiting the islands (both tourists and poachers), the high number of available plant biomass, and even some political intentionality, linked to the sabotaged suffered by them during the year. Also, ranchers explained that it would be of no use for them to set their ranches on fire (which account for about 20 or 30% of the islands area, the rest being public lands), since soybean prices didn't make farming on the Delta attractive, and the fires damage the land for its use for livestock grazing.[25] [26]

Criminal charges were brought against several ranchers.[27]

On the other hand, several Environmental organizations pointed that the fires were started by ranchers to renew graze, as they do every year, but with the difference that in 2020 the drought made those fires bigger and easier to grow, which caused the shift so rapidly. The government credited this theory, blaming the fires on ranchers.[28] [29] [30]

Notes and References

  1. News: Goñi . Uki . 'Everything is burning': Argentina's delta fires rage out of control . 3 August 2020 . The Guardian . 30 July 2020.
  2. News: Incendios en las islas entrerrianas generaron quejas por el humo en Rosario . 3 August 2020 . El Once . 2 February 2020 . Paraná . es-AR . elonceFeb.
  3. News: Bolzán . Francisco . Preocupan los incendios en islas del Delta del Paraná . 3 August 2020 . Ahora . 14 February 2020 . Buenos Aires . es-AR.
  4. News: 5 August 2020. Ya se quemaron 90 mil hectáreas por los incendios en el Delta del Paraná. es-AR. Página 12. Buenos Aires. 19 August 2020.
  5. News: de los Santos . Germán . Masiva marcha para protestar por los incendios en las islas del Paraná . 3 August 2020 . La Nación . 1 August 2020 . Buenos Aires . es-AR.
  6. News: El ministro Juan Cabandié se sumó a la lucha contra los incendios en el Delta del Paraná . 3 August 2020 . Clarín . 1 August 2020 . Buenos Aires . es-AR.
  7. News: Socolsky . Claudio . Por fin controlaron los incendios en el Delta . 3 August 2020 . Página 12 . 26 July 2020 . Buenos Aires . es-AR.
  8. News: Continúan los incendios en las islas del Delta del Paraná y Omar Perotti reclamó la intervención de la Justicia . 3 August 2020 . Infobae . 17 July 2020 . Buenos Aires . es-AR.
  9. News: Boerr . Martín . Las Cataratas tienen solo un "hilo" de agua por la peor sequía desde 2006 . 3 August 2020 . La Nación . 7 April 2020 . Buenos Aires . es-AR.
  10. News: Valente . Marcela . Drought-hit Argentina faces water worries amid coronavirus pandemic . 3 August 2020 . Reuters.
  11. News: Agua: ante bajante histórica del río Paraná, Argentina le pedirá a Brasil que habilite el paso por las represas . 3 August 2020 . El Cronista . 13 April 2020 . es-AR.
  12. News: Itaipú abrió sus compuertas y empezó a crecer el Paraná . 3 August 2020 . El Territorio . 21 May 2020 . Posadas . es-AR.
  13. Posibles escenarios hidrológicos en la Cuenca Del Plata durante el período Mayo-Junio-Julio 2020 . Informe Mensual - Alerta Hidrológico Cuenca del Plata . 9 May 2020 . 3 August 2020 . Borús . Juan . Giordano . Leandro . Vita Sanchez . Maximiliano . Núñez . Victor . Contreras . Guillermo . Pereira . Andrea . Instituto Nacional del Agua . Buenos Aires . es-AR . 13 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201013143226/https://www.ina.gob.ar/trunk/archivos/Escenario2020_Mayo.pdf . dead .
  14. News: La bajante del Río Paraná se profundizó y alcanzó el nivel más bajo desde 1971 . 3 August 2020 . Infobae . 23 May 2020 . Buenos Aires . es-AR.
  15. News: Maximilian Heath . Hugh Bronstein . Parched Parana River likely to hit Argentine grain exports through September . 3 August 2020 . Reuters . 28 May 2020 . Buenos Aires.
  16. News: Arrúa . Patricia . La bajante extraordinaria del río Paraná deja una estela de destrucción, alerta un experto . 3 August 2020 . Télam . 25 May 2020 . Buenos Aires . es-AR.
  17. News: Aitken . Peter . Fire continues to ravage Argentina's delta; authorities struggle to combat the spread . 3 August 2020 . FOX News . 2 August 2020.
  18. News: A río seco, ganancia de depredadores: Ambientalistas de Rosario denuncian estragos en la bajante . 3 August 2020 . Agencia de Informaciones Mercosur (AIM) . Paraná . es-AR . 2451-8115.
  19. News: La bajante del río Paraná: reclaman más controles por la depredación de la pesca . 3 August 2020 . Aire de Santa Fe . 1 August 2020 . Santa Fe . es-AR.
  20. News: Rico . Tomás . Sequía y bajante del Paraná: escenario propicio para los incendios en las islas . 3 August 2020 . El Litoral . 1 August 2020 . Santa Fe . es-AR.
  21. News: Incendios afectan las islas del delta del Paraná . 3 August 2020 . El Entrerriano . 15 February 2020 . es-AR.
  22. News: Fuego en las islas: "Si siguen permitiendo pescar y acampar cerca de la ruta habrá más incendios" . 3 August 2020 . Rosario3 . 4 February 2020 . Rosario . es-AR.
  23. nylon bags used for grain storage
  24. News: Productores repudiaron el incendio intencional en el campo del vicepresidente de CRA . 3 August 2020 . Agrofy News . Buenos Aires . es-AR.
  25. News: Longoni . Matías . ¿Por qué nadie le preguntó a los productores sobre los incendios en las islas? "Nosotros no somos los que quemamos", afirma Enrique Goset . 3 August 2020 . Bichos de campo . 24 June 2020 . es-AR.
  26. News: Hay varios productores imputados por los incendios frente a Rosario: Dura reacción de los autoconvocados . 3 August 2020 . Bichos de Campo . 25 July 2020 . bichosdecampo1 . Buenos Aires . es-AR.
  27. News: Grasso . Agustina . El detrás de los incendios en el Delta: negocio ganadero y desidia macrista . 3 August 2020 . Perfil . 16 June 2020 . perfilRANCHERS . Buenos Aires . es-AR.
  28. News: Delta del Paraná: se quemaron ya más de 5 mil hectáreas por desidia de productores . 3 August 2020 . Ámbito Financiero . 29 July 2020 . ambitoRANCHERS . Buenos Aires . es-AR.
  29. News: Cabandié presentó una denuncia contra productores por la quema de pastizales . 3 August 2020 . Página 12 . 16 June 2020 . paginaRANCHERS . Buenos Aires . es-AR.
  30. News: El delta está en peligro . 3 August 2020 . Página 12 . 28 July 2020 . Buenos Aires . es-AR.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "2020 Delta del Paraná wildfires".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.