Wildfire
From melting ice caps to record-breaking wildfires, hurricanes and floods, the deadly consequences of human-caused global warming are here.
Up to 30% of the koalas' habitat has been destroyed.
Bolivia's President Evo Morales said on Monday his government is working to combat raging wildfires in his country and partly blamed drought for the phenomenon. In an about-face, Morales on Sunday said he was now open to international aid to fight the blazes that have engulfed rural villages and doubled in size since Thursday.
Jair Bolsonaro is facing criticism over the cause of the fires and has warned foreign powers not to intervene in the crisis.
It's not just Brazil – Siberia, Greenland and the Canary islands are among the other regions fighting "unprecedented" fires.
Wildfires in the Amazon have seen an 84% increase compared to the same period in 2018, according to Brazil's space research centre, INPE. Conservationists, scientists and indingenous groups have raised their concerns over President Jair Bolsonaro’s policies that favour development over conservation in the Amazonian basin. As the world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon is vital to slowing global warming as it removes carbon from the atmosphere.
Wildfires in Russia’s Siberia continue to burn as emergency services fight to keep them under control. The country’s prime minister has ordered an investigation into the cause of the fires, which are currently burning over 3.1 million hectares of largely uninhabited forest.
Animal campaigners say koala numbers have fallen so low that the animal is "functionally extinct’’. Deforestation, heatwaves and wildfires triggered by climate change are causing a change in their habitat leading to a steep decline in their numbers.
A wildfire in South Korea has forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate. The fire broke out in eastern Gangwon Province on 5 April before spreading to the seaside city of Sokcho, burning out over 385 hectares of land and 310 buildings. At least one person is known to have died.
A wildfire in Queensland, Australia, has forced hundreds to leave their homes. The fire has burned nearly 40,000 acres so far in "unprecedented weather" conditions. Firefighting crews are trying to contain the blaze.