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(CNN) - While the world cares about forest fires that are currently burning parts of the Amazon, some people have noticed that even more fires appear to be burning in sub-Saharan Africa. However, comparing the two series of fires could be like comparing apples with oranges.
If the data from the Fire Information Map for NASA Resource Management (FIRMS) is observed, they show a large series of fires in Angola, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The alarming area of these fires has left some people wondering why so much attention is being paid to the Amazon, while on the surface it seems that Africa is burning with even more fires. Even the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, who led the momentum of international aid and solutions for the Amazon forest fire and promised help from France, said on Twitter that he would consider starting a similar initiative for sub-Saharan Africa.
However, there are several things to consider when comparing the two situations.
More fires does not mean a more serious situation
Mainly, the idea of "more" fires does not necessarily translate into a more serious situation.
Satellite data such as FIRMS does not give the cause or type of fire, which means that things like controlled burning or scrub fires seem the same in view as forest fires. Correspondents at the CNN office in Lagos, Nigeria, have been informed that many of the fires in Central Africa around Angola and Congo are the result of farmer-controlled fires, and preliminary data shows that the number or the surface of the fires may actually be slightly below normal levels
Many of them are controlled fires
At first glance, an image that NASA reported in 2015 of agricultural fires in Angola and West Africa seemed alarming: thousands of red dots stretched across the continent, a situation that looked like an emergency. However, NASA concluded that "the location, widespread nature and amount of fires suggest that these fires were deliberately made to manage the land."
Fires such as esteos can help the immediate areas around them, as they increase the quality of the soil and clean the areas for new crops to grow. However, NASA notes that they are not without risks.
"While fire helps improve crops and pastures, fires also produce smoke that degrades air quality," the report says.
The situation in the Amazon is different
Fires in South America are leading to deforestation, a completely different type of destruction. In addition, although life-threatening fires are always a concern, there is a reason why fires in the Amazon are especially worrying: the Amazon is home to 10% of the world's plants and animals , and estimates show that almost 20 of the oxygen produced by Earth's land comes from the rainforests of the region. That is why you have often heard that the Amazon refer to as the "lungs of the world." If the rainforest is severely damaged, scientists fear it can accelerate the effects of climate change.
- The Amazon, an ecological wonder in danger: this is what that means for the environment
Belén Feleke of CNN contributed to this news.
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