EMERGENCY AMAZON FIRE FUND REPORT

The report details the impact of the Emergency Amazon Fire Fund, which raised nearly $2 million in the US for fire response and recovery. It highlights the severity of the 2019 fire season, where the total burned area reached at least 21,621 square miles, and notes that 2020 saw a 28% increase in fires in the Brazilian Amazon during July compared to the previous year. WWF's interventions include donating 700 fire-fighting tools to the State of Amazonas Fire Department, supporting community-led wildfire prevention in Colombia's Chiribiquete National Park, and establishing an emergency program in Bolivia. The document argues that fires are driven by deforestation—fueled by land speculation, infrastructure development, and market demand—and are exacerbated by climate change. Long-term goals focus on securing 210 million acres of the biome through Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) and strengthening Indigenous land rights.

• The 2019 fire season in the Amazon was characterized by a significant increase in activity, with 30,901 fires detected at the peak in August 2019, which was three times the number from the previous August. The total area burned during the 2019 dry season was at least 21,621 square miles.
• Fire incidence in 2019 was 30% higher in Brazil and 81% higher in Bolivia compared to 2018. In Bolivia, the Chiquitano Dry Forest was severely impacted, with over 4.7 million acres of forest burned, causing economic losses for women who rely on copaibo and cusi resin for income.
• Early data from 2020 indicates a continuing trend of high fire activity; between January 1st and August 20th, 35,308 fires were detected. Despite a federal decree banning fire for four months and Army presence in the Brazilian Amazon, July recorded 6,803 fires, a 28% increase over the same period in 2019.
• Deforestation is a primary driver of Amazon fires, with an estimated 3,400 square miles of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon over the past 12 months, a 34% increase from the previous year. Key drivers include land speculation, infrastructure development, extractive industries, and market demand.
• Climate change increases the risk of forest fires by affecting the frequency, severity, size of the impacted area, and the volume of carbon emissions. Humans are estimated to be responsible for 75% of all wildfires.
• WWF is implementing a long-term strategy to protect the biome, including establishing durable protections and financing for over 210 million acres through Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) in Brazil, Peru, and Colombia, while exploring similar options in Bolivia and Guyana.
• The COVID-19 pandemic hindered fire response efforts by limiting the mobilization of volunteers and diverting municipal resources toward health systems. In response, WWF provided food, hygiene products, and equipment to more than 32,000 Indigenous people in the Amazon and Cerrado.

APA

WWF International (2020). EMERGENCY AMAZON FIRE FUND REPORT. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/356/7rw83o29co_Amazon_Fire_Fund_Report_FINAL.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. EMERGENCY AMAZON FIRE FUND REPORT. 2020. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/356/7rw83o29co_Amazon_Fire_Fund_Report_FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=EMERGENCY AMAZON FIRE FUND REPORT |date=September 2020 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/356/7rw83o29co_Amazon_Fire_Fund_Report_FINAL.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2020emergency, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{EMERGENCY AMAZON FIRE FUND REPORT}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2020}, month = sep, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/356/7rw83o29co_Amazon_Fire_Fund_Report_FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }