Current Affairs: Passage of the Day - 23 September 2024 | Current Affairs & General Knowledge - CLAT PDF Download

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
South America is witnessing its worst forest fire season in nearly two decades, breaking a previous record for the number of blazes seen in a year (till September 11).
Satellite data analysed by Brazil’s space research agency INPE has spotted 346,112 fire hotspots so far this year in all 13 countries of South America, surpassing the previous record of 345,322 hotspots in 2007, Reuters reported.
How bad is the situation?
Since the beginning of this year, fires have ravaged the Amazon rainforest, engulfing parts of Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, and others. Millions of acres of forest are currently burning across South America.
The worst hit is Brazil, the largest country in the continent and home to 60% of all the currently burning fires in the region. Data from Mapbiomas, a Brazilian NGO, shows that fires have burned more than 11 million hectares of land between January and August this year, an area roughly twice the size of Uttarakhand. Three of the six vast ecosystems — the Amazon, the Cerrado (the world’s most biodiverse savanna), and the Pantanal wetlands — have been severely affected, according to a report by Grist magazine.
After Brazil, Bolivia witnessed the highest number of fires this month, according to INPE data. More than 3.8 million hectares of the country’s forests and grasslands have been damaged as of September 13. Bolivia is followed by Peru, Argentina, and Paraguay.
Smoke billowing from these wildfires has filled the skies over multiple countries, with toxic clouds spanning 10 million square kilometres — an area larger than the entire United States, according to a report by Live Science.
Natalia Gil, an atmospheric science expert and member of the Air Quality and Emissions Department at the Technological Laboratory of Uruguay, told Live Science that “there has been a progressive decline in air quality in cities across southern Brazil, northern Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and northeastern Uruguay.”
Residents in cities such as Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital, experienced poor visibility for several days due to the dense smoke cloud and black rain — precipitation that turns dark because of the mixture of ash and soot, the report said. At least 11 provinces of Argentina reported something similar taking place.
Karla Longo, an air quality researcher at INPE, told Reuters that “exposure to the smoke will drive up the number of people seeking hospital treatment for respiratory issues and may cause thousands of premature deaths”. Inhaling wildfire smoke contributes to an average of 12,000 early deaths a year in South America, according to a 2023 study.
Why is this happening?
Every year, South America witnesses a high number of blazes between August and October, which is the continent’s wildfire season. During this time, farmers intentionally burn their lands to cultivate them and most often, fires escape into the forests. However, this year’s season has been particularly bad due to several reasons.
For instance, the continent is currently experiencing one of its worst droughts on record with Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia being worst affected. In Brazil, about 59% of the country is facing drought conditions and Amazon basin rivers are flowing at historic lows, according to Grist. These extreme dry conditions fueled by the El Niño event (it ended earlier this year) have propelled fires to spread across the region.
High levels of deforestation, especially in the Amazon, have also played a role in exacerbating wildfires — clearing the land creates more opportunities for blazes to spread. “Evidence suggests that deforestation itself is responsible for regional changes in weather patterns that have resulted in larger and more severe droughts that make forests more susceptible to fire,” according to a report by the World Resources Institute.
The crisis has been made worse by global warming. A recent study by World Weather Attribution, an international group of scientists, showed that climate change is the main culprit behind the ongoing drought in South America. It said rising temperatures made the drought 30 times more likely, drove extreme high temperatures, and contributed to lower rainfall.
What happens next?
It remains unclear if the number of wildfires in South America will further rise this year. Typically, rainfall comes in the region during October but there is no guarantee. Ane Alencar, director of science at the Amazon Environmental Research Institute, told Grist: “We don’t know if rain is going to come.”
Notably, the ongoing intense wildfires in the continent are not a surprise to climate scientists, who say this is exactly what climate models have been predicting for 20 years or more. Extreme weather events such as drought, wildfires, and floods are expected to get much worse in the following years as global temperatures continue to rise.
[Excerpt from Indian Express "Amazon Faces Severe Drought and Record Wildfires in 2024" Dated 23/09/24]

Q1: In September 2024, what was the water level in the Madeira River in Porto Velho?
(a) 332 cm
(b) 100 cm
(c) 150 cm
(d) 48 cm

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Q2: How did the drought affect communities in the Amazon region?
(a) It increased their access to fresh water.
(b) It made it difficult for them to travel and receive supplies like food and medicine.
(c) It caused an increase in rainfall.
(d) It led to a boom in agricultural production.

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Q3: How many wildfires were reported in August 2023 during the Amazon drought?
(a) 11,500
(b) 25,000
(c) 38,000
(d) 50,000

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Q4: What has been the main cause of the drought in the Amazon region?
(a) Increased agricultural activities
(b) Overuse of water resources
(c) Climate change and the El Niño weather pattern
(d) Logging and deforestation

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Q5: What role does the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) play in the Amazon drought?
(a) It brings more rain to the Amazon during dry periods.
(b) It has shifted north due to warmer ocean temperatures, causing less rainfall.
(c) It causes temperatures to drop in the Amazon region.
(d) It prevents the spread of wildfires.

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