Brazilian policy changes that disincentivized deforestation for agriculture resulted in thousands of avoided hospitalizations and deaths due to wildfire in the Amazon. New research from the University of Bonn and Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais found a reduction in forest fires led to lower hospital cases and deaths due to respiratory health problems.
Science
Brazilian Policy Changes Result in Thousands of Avoided Hospitalizations and Deaths
Brazilian policy changes that disincentivized deforestation for agriculture resulted in thousands of avoided hospitalizations and deaths Amazon due to wildfire.
Image: Swathes of Amazon rainforest cleared for soy agriculture in 2006. Restrictions imposed on the practice since then have seen reductions in land clearing and potentially better health outcomes.
Image: Daniel Beltra/dpa/picture-alliance
Trees and Forests are Often Described as Lungs of the Earth
New research from the University of Bonn in Germany and Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in Brazil has analyzed local health outcomes after conservation measures in the Amazon.
It found that these measures led to a reduction in the hospitalization and death rate due to respiratory health problems in the local population.
The Positive Impact on People’s Health was Due to a Reduction in Forest Fires
The positive impact on people’s health was due to a reduction in forest fires. The conservation measures reduced fine particulate concentrations in the air—a main vector for adverse health effects of fire smoke.
Fewer Forest Fires Saw Fewer Deaths, Hospitalizations
Amazonian wildfires are a persistent topic on South America’s environmental agenda. 2024 saw Brazil’s worst wildfires in 14 years. Across the border in Bolivia, land clearing was blamed in part for fires that burned through a record 10 million hectares.
The Researchers Wanted to Understand What Impact Deforestation Policy Changes Might Have on Health Outcomes
The researchers wanted to understand what impact deforestation policy changes might have on health outcomes in the Amazon. They first calculated whether fires and air pollution decreased after policies introduced in 2007 and 2009 to stop traders purchasing soy and cattle products grown on deforested land.
A Reduction in Forest Fires was Observed in the Years After the Introduction of These Policies
A reduction in forest fires was observed in the years after the introduction of these policies. It resulted in sizeable drops in concentrations of pollutant gases like carbon monoxide, nitrogen and sulfur dioxides.
They Then Compared Hospitalizations for a Range of Diseases Associated with Air Pollution
They then compared hospitalizations for a range of diseases associated with air pollution to the reduction in fires and particulate readings. Within the Amazon region, they estimated improved conservation outcomes led to a decrease in around 18,000 hospitalizations and avoided around 680 deaths per year due to smoke and fire-related health problems.
Forest Loss Can Also Directly Impact Humans and Make Them More Vulnerable to Pathogens
Forest loss can also directly impact humans and make them more vulnerable to pathogens. “Often, people become displaced and marginalized and are often the most hit by these pathogens and these transmission in infectious diseases” said Gottdenker.
While Forest Fires and Respiratory Health Outcomes are More Likely in Areas Impacted by Deforestation
While forest fires and respiratory health outcomes are more likely in areas impacted by deforestation, the practice of tree felling can also increase the likelihood of transmissible disease. That’s because forest clearance reduces habitat for other plants and animals, which may bring them into closer contact with humans.
This Becomes Problematic When Animals Become Reservoirs for Diseases Caused by Viruses, Bacteria, or Parasites
This becomes problematic when animals become reservoirs for diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites. “When you deforest an area, it’s not always associated with an increase in infectious disease, but in many cases it can lead to spillover of pathogens from wildlife to people and their domestic animals,” says Nicole Lynn Gottdenker, a disease ecologist at the University of Georgia, US.
Multiple Studies Have Shown Malaria Transmission in the Amazon is Linked to Deforestation
Multiple studies have shown malaria transmission in the Amazon is linked to deforestation. One study found a 1% increase in monthly Amazon tree felling was associated with a 6.3% increase in malaria cases.
Smoke Exposure Can Aggravate Conditions Like Asthma and Reduce Lung Function
Smoke exposure can aggravate conditions like asthma and reduce lung function. Chronic problems emerging from prolonged exposure can include an increase in the rate of heart and respiratory diseases.
Aerial Photo of Burning Amazon Rainforest in April 2024
Image: Adriano Machado/REUTERS
