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FORUM: Environment Commission ISSUE: Measures to Protect Displaced Animals and Restore caused by forest fires STUDENT OFFICER: Tuneesha Roy POSITION: President of Environment Commission

Introduction

Californian bush fires, Australian wildfires, Amazon wildfires, and many more fires have ravaged through the forests, causing mass destruction. Wildfires can travel up to a pace of 14 miles an hour, clearing everything in its path and contributing to deforestation. In June 2020, roughly 75 fires set ablaze in the Amazon every day. Compared to After escaping the scorching fire, a wallaby licks its charred paws. last year, deforestation is up by 34% in the first half of 2020, at this pace, about 9000 square kilometers of the Amazon will be cut down by the beginning of August. Moreover, animals are also severely displaced. Approximately, more than a billion animals have been affected by starvation, habitat loss, and dehydration caused by the Australian wildfires. An estimated 800 million animals have died due to the scorching flames in Australia in 2020. Numerous animal shelters rescue displaced animals; however, the number of animals impacted far outweighs the number that has received assistance. Albeit setting intentional fires, like slash and burn practices, is a tireless way to clear land, the risks posed by it are astronomical. For example, slash and burn fires can harmfully impact soil fertility and threaten the lives of animals. The 1997 fires of Indonesia stand as an example of the adverse effects of “out of control” intentional fires. Recorded as one of the worst forest fires in decades, the 1997 fires wiped off countless numbers of already endangered species, like the orangutans, demolished acres of fertile soil, and even contributed to poor air quality.

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Background Causes of forest fires are usually categorized into humans and natural causes. A 2017 report from Wildland Fire Management Information (WFMI) suggests that 85% of all forest fires are caused by humans. Human causes- disposal of unextinguished cigarettes, petroleum leakage from logging equipment, A cigarette butt laying on the burnt ground. inattentive campfires, arson, malfunctioning electric lines, and fire- is often used to separate animals for herds while hunting. Natural causes of forest fires include lightning streaks or volcano eruptions. Lightning strikes are common to be witnessed during dry vegetation seasons. Fires caused by nature often ignite far from human activities, usually in remote areas, making it even harder to extinguish due to physical barriers. Natural fires do more damage than man- made fires; however, the former is part of the ecosystem.

Problems Raised Animals at Risk According to a report published by Australia's Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment, 19 mammals, 20 reptiles, 13 bird, 17 frogs, 5 invertebrates, 22 crayfish, and 17 fish species are suffering from their habitats ravaged. That is a total of 113 species under high threat by the raging fires, among which some were already vulnerable before the wildfires, and now are more likely to become extinct. The Australian government asserts that the koala population has already dropped 30% due to the extent of the fires. Although Koalas are not under imminent threat, other animals of smaller populations are at risk of their niches burning up in flames.

Carbon Sink Forests constitute about 31% of all terrestrial land. These forests are the carbon sink, soaking in all the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, to prevent any further climate changes. In the past 50 years, the Amazon rain forest lost 17% of its forest due to conversion into cattle ranching ground. With the added pressure of forest fires, more than 80% of terrestrial animals are under threat, along with approximately 54 million people who work in the forest sector. Forest fires are a direct threat to humans. With short term effects of loss of jobs and long-term effects of detrimental , natural carbon sink degraded.

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Impact of Man-Made Fires

Wildfires are crucial in maintaining a balanced ecosystem; thus, many species have become habituated to the conditions. Species like the black-bellied woodpeckers, thrive on burnt branches to make nests and feed off insects that infest the burnt woods. Likewise, Eucalyptus plants would become extinct without frequent fires. However, the above facts are only true for the American West. The Amazon Rainforest is not made for forest fires. Natural fires in the Amazon are usually low burning and are put off by rain, thus causing little to no damage. But man-made fires are devastating. Animals are displaced and most often killed by the raging fires. Like Jaguars and Cheetahs, faster-moving animals have an advantage over frogs and anteaters who can move out of the fire’s path quickly. Moreover, many amphibians rely on their bark-like textured skin that camouflages into the background for survival; however, with the fires wiping out their natural habitats, these amphibians are forced to flee to different backgrounds where they may be at risk of predators. Aquatic animals are also in danger because of the forest fires. Frequent fires can negatively alter the organic chemistry of lakes in the short term and make the water unsustainable for life. In the long term, the energy flow of the ecosystems can also be potentially altered due to fires. For example, the Amazon Rainforest Canopies, that prevent sunlight from touching the ground can be burnt off by uncontrolled fires. This can cause catastrophic changes to the food chain.

International Actions

G7 – Talks over Amazon Wildfire

In August of 2019, G7 countries, France, Canada, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the , gathered to discuss Brazil’s plans, which according to experts, is said to be fueling the Amazon wildfires. To protect the “lungs of the Earth,” as the Amazon is often referred to as the French President offered President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro financial assistance to all Amazonian countries seeking help. However, Jair Bolsonaro, the Brazilian President, sees foreign help as an “attack on the nation’s sovereignty.” Regardless, the French President gave high priority to discussion on the Amazon wildfires in the G7 agenda. France has already put forth financial assistance, while Canada offered to send water bombers to Brazil to extinguish the fires. The G7 members also initiated a plan to take the Amazon crisis to the General Assembly of the .

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World Wide Fund for the Nature (WWF) WWF established as the World Wildlife Fund assists governments to research the effects of slash and burn fires and come up with alternative plans. However, when using fire becomes the ultimate solution for the health of the ecosystem, WWF partners with experts to execute the plan of action to keep the fire under control and safe for the environment.

Alliance for Rainforests, September 2019 In September of 2019, the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, recognized the importance of forest in the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Goals (SDGs). Forest fires greatly contribute to increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change.

Charities The Rainforest Action Network, Rainforest Trust, Amazon Conservation Association, Rainforest Alliance, and the Rainforest Foundation US are all organizations that work on a donation basis to preserve the environment. For example, the Rainforest Trust buys burnt land and preserves it from deforestation by developing it with the proper resources. Moreover, the Rainforest Foundation US helps to promote sustainable living by raising awareness to the public and denouncing the use of palm oil products.

Key Players

Australia

Australia is an island nation that is currently suffering from wildfires, droughts, and rising temperatures. The country is undergoing its worst drought in decades with temperatures surpassing 40 degrees Celsius. 7.3 million hectares of fertile land has been ravaged by the fires. Deforestation and blazing fires run in cycles. Forest fires burn up the vegetation and destroy the organic matter in the soil, which then causes an excess release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The excess carbon dioxide further increases the chances of a blaze, thus Bushfire Map of Australia

TIANMUN 2020 Environment Commission – 5 continuing the cycle. Moreover, more than a billion animals have been affected by the fires, and about a third of Koala’s habitat has been destroyed. A specific number of injuries and deaths cannot be reported, but it is clear that some animals have suffered from severe burns.

Brazil The Amazon rainforest is approximately two-thirds of the size of the USA and is often referred to as the “lungs of the earth” because it yields about 20% of Earth’s oxygen. With that in mind, deforestation has increased over 80% since 2018, and 17.5 million acres of fertile land has burned down. Although wildfires contribute greatly to deforestation, the Brazilian President’s decisions have also made unprecedented impacts. Bolsonaro’s campaign promises included economic growth by utilizing the resources available in the Amazon. Thus, much of the rainforest has been lost to the construction of hydropower dams, logging, and mining. Animals, on the other hand, are being displaced as they seek refuge underground or underwater. Many animals eventually end up being suffocated by excess smoke inhalation or polluted water.

United States California underwent the worst wildfires in history from 2017 to 2019. More than 259,823 acres of Californian forests have burned down due to the recent blazes in 2019 caused by the 7869 incidents of wildfires. Faulty power lines, dry climates, and wind directions have caused and contributed to the exacerbated spread of the fires across the forest. According to U.S. Forest Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife, domestic animals, like dogs and horses, have minimal survival skills to Fires in California escape from the wildfire, making them furthermore vulnerable. Many horses were displayed as the fires burned down their stables. Animal shelters in California have found some success in rescuing animals and providing proper treatment; however, those animals have lost their habitat to the fires. Although California’s ecosystem is fire-dependent, meaning controlled fires improve the environment’s health, the recent fires have proven otherwise. The severe fires have caused soil erosion.

Indonesia

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Fifty lawsuits have been filed, since 2015, against pulpwood and palm oil companies responsible for starting fires in Indonesia. Man-made fires started to clear lands have cost the government over $5.2 billion. Toxic gasses have led to school closures, loss of 1.6 million hectares of fertile land, and destruction of natural habitats. These toxic smoke clouds have even traveled as far as Singapore and Malaysia, causing a diplomatic quarrel. To prevent further damage from 2019’s wildfires in the Indonesian forests, the government has adopted artificial rain technologies to curb the effects of the dry season.

Possible Solutions Installing Signages & Enforcing Strict Regulations Owing to the fact that man-made fires account for 85% of all forest fires, prevention is the most optimal solution to protect displaced animals and restore deforestation. For example, installing signages in forests warning passerby’s to avoid smoking or starting campfires in dryland is a simple and effective method to prevent fires. These signages can also be used to raise awareness to the public about the consequences of negligence in following the instructions. In addition to these signages, a penalty can be established for littering flammable objects on the drylands.

Investing in Detection & Damage Control Infrastructure Nations suffering from frequent forest fires should invest capital in detection and prevention equipment. For example, firefighters can turn to drones to spot fires far from human activity. Drones can assist firefighters in fast mapping the areas most affected. Using drones more extensively is a possible solution to prevent wildfires from spreading; moreover, optic and thermic images gathered from drones can allow scientists to calculate the estimated damage and make prompt decisions. Fire-stricken nations should also invest in waterbombers. A waterbomber is an aircraft used to extinguish fires by creating artificial rain. The following technologies allow timely detection and adequate damage control of forest fires.

Glossary

Slash and Burn An agricultural practice used to clear land by burning off existing vegetation before new seeds are planted. Slash and Burn Agriculture

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Group of Seven Countries (G7) The Group of Seven countries consists of France, Canada, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, which operates as an intergovernmental organisation.

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