On August 11, 2020, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro dismissed the raging fires in the Amazon, calling their existence a “lie.” However, his own government has reported more than 10,000 fires currently burning in the Amazon, a 17 percent increase from the same time last year, when the number of wildfires reached a nine-year high. The international community has condemned the Brazilian government’s response to the raging Amazon fires. Bolsonaro’s denial about these fires blocks effective domestic, international, government, and non-governmental responses. And it risks exacerbating the conditions contributing to global climate change.

Brazil’s History of Disaster Denial

Bolsonaro dismissed the wildfires’ existence at a meeting of the intergovernmental organization of countries responsible for preserving the Amazon. This is not the first time. Last year, despite an 84 percent surge in fires compared with the previous year, Bolsonaro denied their existence before the UN General Assembly. Only after considerable international pressure was exerted did he send military forces to help contain the spread.

Bolsonaro’s denial in the face of disaster comes in part from his administration’s emphasis on economic development, especially in the Amazon region. Bolsonaro has been adamant in his desire to develop Brazil’s Amazon regions to alleviate poverty. He has refused to listen to either his domestic environmental advisors or the international community, which he claims is violating Brazil’s sovereignty through their efforts to preserve the Amazon. Bolsonaro’s insufficient response to the Amazon wildfires, however, is having the opposite effect, with global investors threatening to withdraw US$2 trillion in Brazilian economic aid because of it.

How the Amazon Wildfires Started

In general, wildfires can begin for several reasons. During the dry season, wildfires are likely to spread throughout forests. However, these fires started predominantly with farmers setting fires to clear forest to make room for crops and cattle. These actions, combined with an increasingly dry climate, raise the frequency and intensity of the spread of fire.

Although the Brazilian government banned fires for deforestation and tree-clearing in the Amazon in mid-July for 120 days, the number of fires dramatically increased by about 28 percent compared to the same month last year. Furthermore, instead of working with Brazil’s environmental protection organization (IBAMA), which supports anti-deforestation measures, Bolsonaro has relied on the military since at least May 2020 to fight the fires. But the military has been mostly ineffective as fires continue to rage throughout the region. Bolsonaro has also cut IBAMA’s funding, making it difficult to effectively mitigate the emergence and spread of wildfires.

The Consequences of Disaster Denial in the Brazilian Amazon

In a way, fighting natural disasters is analogous to war. The response requires similar resoluteness and strength from a country’s political leaders. If the strategy from the top is weak, the entire response could suffer. Denying the existence of the wildfires undermines the will and ability to fight, leading to significant consequences for the world.

The Amazon rainforest is one of the world’s greatest allies in reducing the effects of climate change. As the largest rainforest in the world at about 7 million square kilometers, it resides in the territory of 9 separate South American nations. Its vast array of plants absorbs about 5 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, then releases oxygen back into the air, which helps offset global greenhouse gas emissions. When deforestation increases and the rainforest is set on fire, the burning trees release extra carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Additionally, over the last couple of decades, tropical forests have been losing their ability to absorb carbon dioxide, or act as “carbon sinks,” with about a 10 percent decrease in carbon absorption since the 1990s. As these forests continue to burn or dry up due to deforestation, droughts, and rising temperatures, we are losing crucial carbon sinks that will exacerbate the global climate crisis.

Bolsonaro’s denial also prevents foreign governments and non-governmental organizations from helping. Bolsonaro has stressed the importance of Brazil’s sovereignty in the matter of the wildfires, likely fearing foreign involvement would undermine his authority. However, inviting assistance could strengthen relations with foreign actors and help to address Brazil’s socioeconomic issues as well.

The long-term effects of burning the rainforest and deforestation could ultimately lead to food insecurity and economic and social instability due to the impacts of expedited climate change. Deforesting the Amazon weakens Brazil’s economy, despite Bolsonaro’s beliefs to the contrary. Concerns over his position on the Amazon have prevented the EU-Mercosur free-trade deal with Brazil and other South American states—the largest EU trade deal yet—from being ratified. Until Brazilian policies align with the deal’s commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement and fighting deforestation, the deal will not be inked.

Bolsonaro’s persistent denials continue to hinder any efforts to address the long-standing criminal and unsustainable practices in the Amazon that could produce more wildfires in the future. Only about 12 percent of Brazil’s population lives in the Amazon, a region that is largely unregulated by the federal government. Illegal loggers and miners operate with little regard for environmental and criminal laws and enforcement. In the past two years, a federal investigation has resulted in more than 90 arrests for illegal logging and corruption in the Amazon rainforest and some $500 million in damage. Rather than a bulwark of global and local stability, the Amazon is fair game for unmitigated profit-seeking.

The smoke from the wildfires alone could exacerbate health conditions amid the current COVID-19 pandemic. Brazil has the third-highest number of COVID-19 cases worldwide, more than 4.3 million as of September 15. Air pollution exacerbates the risks of contracting COVID-19. In the Amazon, where access to healthcare is limited, both urban and indigenous populations face hardships as the fires rage. Last year, the smoke from the fires reached as far as São Paulo and thousands of Brazilians inundated hospitals with respiratory problems.

The need to control the Amazon wildfires increases as the number of fires grows. Denying they exist prevents any real effort to mitigate the local and global implications. The Amazon is a source of socioeconomic vitality in Brazil, and the world depends on the Amazon rainforest and its ability to help constrain climate change. To destroy the Amazon is to end any hope of effectively fighting climate change in the future.