The advance of cattle producers on the protected region of Delta do Río Paraná occurs every six months. January and August are usually those periods of the year when the dawn and dusk are rosy, and an uncomfortable smell of smoke is felt by Porteños.
It is a crime that is repeated every season, but which until now had not received due attention, and surveillance had been lax.
The seriousness of these crimes in the last two years, however, has increased and drawn the attention of environmentalists, doctors, politicians, and a good part of the population of these regions who have respiratory and heart problems. This is because, due to global warming, reduced river flow and greater drought, the swampy lands that made up part of the River Delta are turning into deserts, and any strong wind brings the residues of these fires directly to cities.
Authorities have already detained five people in the past month, in connection with accusations of promoting artificial fires to expand spaces for livestock and soy cultivation. Investigations continue. With delay, the national government complied with the governors’ request and sent the Armed Forces, brigadistas and planes to contain the fire.
The Paraná River Delta is a biodiverse territory that contains 700 species of plants and 543 species of vertebrates, in addition to 260 species of birds. It expands between the territories of the provinces of Buenos Aires, Entre Ríos and Santa Fe. In addition to the death of local fauna and the destruction of vegetation, the smoke resulting from the criminal advance on nature is attacking the health of those who live in cities.
Health authorities have declared an environmental emergency in these areas and ask that people from risk groups, with respiratory problems, heart problems or of legal age, remain at home or wear masks such as those used to contain the Covid-19 virus. There is also a recommendation to “avoid outdoor activities and drive slowly on roads”.
In August alone, the Conae Alert Unit (National Space Activities Commission) identified the presence of 9,323 fires in the region. Between August 8 and 14 alone, 1,472 were concentrated. The same body warns that, since the beginning of 2022, about 130 thousand hectares of woodland and forests in these three provinces have already been lost.
In Rosario, in the province of Santa Fe, residents took to the streets to protest against the fires, while in Buenos Aires, environmental groups are preparing protests to prevent the problem from getting worse, especially in January, in the middle of summer, when in addition to the fires in the Delta in Paraná, there are usually new outbreaks, in Corrientes and Córdoba, also aggravated by the fall in precipitation and increase in temperatures.
The planet asks for help, and Argentina is no different.
