Maldives have called upon the international authorities to take action to protect the Amazon.
In a tweet, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih expressed he was greatly distressed by the fires ravaging the Amazon. The president noted the Amazon produces 20% of earth's oxygen, adding it is the lungs of the planet and one of the largest natural carbon traps. He said as a climate vulnerable nation, Maldives call upon the world to do more to protect the Amazon.
Wildfires raging in the Amazon have hit a record number this year, with 72,843 fires detected so far by Brazil's space research centre INPE. The surge marks an 83% increase over the same period of 2018, the highest since records began in 2013. INPE said satellite images spotted 9,507 new forest fires mostly in the Amazon basin, home to the world's largest tropical forest seen as vital to countering global warming.