President Ibrahim Mohamed has called on all “to do more to protect the Amazon,” as fires continue to ravage large parts of the rain forest.
While the world's largest and most vital rain forest has been on fire for three weeks, the matter has since become a global concern.
In a tweet posted on Friday, President Solih said that he was “greatly distressed” by the news and called on all to do more the protect the rain forest which is vital to countering global warming.
“The Amazon produces 20% of the earth’s oxygen- its our planet’s lungs and one of the largest natural carbon traps. As a climate vulnerable nation, we Maldivians call upon the world to do more to the protect the Amazon.”President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
While forest fires happen every year in the Brazilian Amazon, the government’s statistics show an 83 percent surge this year.
According to Brazil’s National Institute of Space Research agency, more than 74,000 fires were detected between January and August with more than 9,500 forest fires since Thursday; the fires were detected mostly in the Amazon region.
In comparison, there were less than 40,000 fires during the same period in 2018.
International pressure has forced the Brazilian government to take action to tackle the matter, with President Jair Bolsonaro mobilizing an army team to combat the fires on Saturday.
The Brazilian president has faced backlash over the matter, and is being blamed for “inspiring fires across primary rain forest.”
As an attempt to force Brazil to change its deforestation policies, leaders of the world’s major democracies are to hold emergency talks this weekend on the Amazon wildfires.
