Five key events that shaped the Amazon in the past year
30 de January de 2025
By Marcela Leiros – From Cenarium
MANAUS (AM) – The year 2024 was a period of intense events for the Amazon, marked by historic environmental crises, unprecedented international visits, and changes in the regional political scene. The region was at the center of national and global attention, reinforcing its environmental importance for the planet.
The territory witnessed a record drought that deeply impacted local communities, unprecedented wildfires that devastated vast areas of the forest, a historic visit from U.S. President Joe Biden, and elections that saw the rise of right-wing-aligned candidates in the region.
Wildfires
Since the beginning of the year, wildfires have spread across Brazil’s main biomes (Amazon, Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, Caatinga, Pampa, and Pantanal) on an alarming scale. The MapBiomas Fire Monitor reported that by September, the country had burned 150% more land compared to the same period last year.
According to data from the Burning Program of Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (Inpe), the Amazon recorded the highest number of fire hotspots in the past 17 years. By early December, there were 137,538 hotspots, including both controlled and uncontrolled fires and forest fires. This period was only surpassed by 2007, which recorded 186,480 hotspots. The region accounted for 50.6% of all fire outbreaks in the country.
One of the most striking images of the year was a fire cloud over the Amazon spanning more than 500 kilometers in length and over 400 kilometers in width, as captured by the European Copernicus satellite. This phenomenon covered the states of Amazonas, Acre, Rondônia, Mato Grosso, and Mato Grosso do Sul, as well as areas of Peru, Bolivia, and parts of Paraguay.
Smoke
As a consequence of the fires, smoke caused a series of problems for the population, including the closure of an airport in Pará due to low visibility and a surge in respiratory illnesses, especially among children and the elderly.
Drought
The year 2024 will be remembered as one of the most challenging for the Amazon due to the severe drought that affected the region. The prolonged dry season worsened the water crisis, directly impacting the lives of thousands who depend on rivers for transportation, water supply, and agricultural irrigation.
Experts pointed out that the extreme drought was intensified by global climate factors, such as El Niño, as well as ongoing climate change, which has been putting pressure on the region’s environmental balance.
The consequences were severe: crops were lost, riverine communities struggled to access clean water and food, and essential services such as healthcare and education were compromised in remote areas.
In response, the federal government declared a state of emergency in 53 municipalities across Acre, Amazonas, Roraima, and Rondônia, allocating R$11.7 million for civil defense actions in the hardest-hit states, such as Amazonas and Roraima.
Biden in the Amazon
U.S. President Joe Biden landed in Manaus in November for a historic visit, becoming the first sitting American president to visit the region. In the Amazonian capital, Biden flew over the Meeting of the Waters, the Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve, and the Amazon Museum (MUSA), which he visited after the tour.
At the museum, the president hiked through a stretch of native vegetation and met with Indigenous leaders. Biden announced a $50 million contribution to the Amazon Fund and stated in his speech that no one could reverse what he called the “clean energy revolution,” referring to renewable energy sources that do not contribute to air pollution.
“It’s no secret that I’ll be leaving office in January. I will leave my successor and my country with a strong foundation to build on—if they choose to. It’s true that some may try to veer off course or slow down the clean energy revolution underway in America. But no one—no one—can reverse it. Not when so many people, regardless of party or politics, are already benefiting from it. Not when countries around the world are leveraging the clean energy revolution to advance on their own path,” Biden declared.
Amazon Elections
In the North Region, the results of mayoral elections in capital cities highlighted the strength of candidates aligned with the right and far-right, with direct ties to former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL). In all seven capital cities of the region, these politicians either won in the first round or advanced to the second round.
In cities like Manaus (AM), Belém (PA), and Porto Velho (RO), candidates with connections to the former president or who advocate for radical right-wing policies gained prominence at the polls. This phenomenon reflects the continued political influence of the ex-president and the strengthening of his agenda, which includes strict public security policies, cultural conservatism, and a reduction in state power—key pillars of the Bolsonarista platform.