Ecological Indicators, 25 October 2019

Drought and fires influence the respiratory diseases hospitalizations in the Amazon

Precipitation decline and vegetation fires in the Amazon region associated with climate change and deforestation expose local communities to hazardous air quality that may lead to damages in human health such as diseases of the respiratory system.

Since 2000, drought incidence over the Amazon has been observed at a higher frequency than during the last century, and the effects of the drier climate and fires on human health remain uncertain. Understanding the roles played by precipitation decline and fire activity as well as associated changes of atmospheric parameters on the incidence of respiratory diseases hospitalizations (RDH) is a very complex task, and it is likely that the relative importance of those factors depends on the temporal and spatial variability used in the analysis.

This work aims at serving as an updated reference that covers the impact of fire incidence on respiratory diseases in Porto Velho, the third most populated city of Brazilian Amazon, with emphasis on drought events from 2000 to 2016.