Jessica Cindy Kempfer[1]
Translation: Ligia Payao Chizolini
In 2024, floods and inundations in Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) affected 2.3 million people, resulting in 157 deaths, 88 missing persons, and thousands of homes destroyed. Also, in the same year, wildfires devastated 11.39 million hectares across the country, an increase of 116% compared to the previous year. Of this total, 70% of the destroyed areas were native vegetation, with August alone accounting for almost half of this area—5.65 million hectares, equivalent to the state of Paraíba. These figures were reported by the Fire Monitor from MapBiomas.
The events we are experiencing, such as uncontrolled wildfires, devastating floods, and ecosystem degradation, are often classified as "natural disasters" by mainstream media. However, it is important to question this categorization. The word disaster, derived from the Latin word dis-astro, suggests something cosmic, unpredictable, and beyond human control. Yet, what we are facing is not the result of an unfavorable (or misaligned) alignment of the stars or karmic forces beyond our reach. Instead, they are direct, predictable, and inevitable consequences of human actions, stemming from economic and political decisions that prioritize profit over sustainability and environmental preservation.
Labeling these events as "disasters" evokes notions of misfortune and accident, but it is clear that the environmental and social damage we are witnessing is a direct result of irresponsible economic practices. The destruction of ecosystems and the humanitarian and social harm, seen in Brazil’s fires and floods, have roots in conscious choices aimed at economic progress without considering long-term consequences. These events are not disasters but rather a predictable response to human actions that degrade nature.
Behind these actions is an economic campaign that justifies the uncontrolled use of natural resources and territories, where aggressors seek to acquire goods, materials, ports, and trade routes, rationalizing such acts as the price of progress. However, the damage caused is part of a predictable cycle of destruction, not a cosmic coincidence.
The consequences of these actions, including environmental degradation, contamination of natural resources, increased poverty, and health complications, are mostly foreseeable and caused by human choices. These events cannot be treated as mere chance, let alone as an inevitable disaster. The market economy, which often legitimizes such practices, turns victims into mere consequences of "progress," but we must look beyond this narrative and recognize the human role in causing these events.
We have reached a point where we can no longer hide behind the word "disaster" to justify environmental destruction and the humanitarian tragedies we witness. The floods, wildfires, and devastation that plague Brazil in 2024 are merely symptoms of a larger problem: a predatory economic model that insists on exploiting natural resources without considering the consequences. The truth is clear, and the numbers do not lie. We are not facing forces beyond our control; we are dealing with the results of the choices we make, day after day. Change is possible, but it begins with awarenesIn 2024, floods and inundations in Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) affected 2.3 million people, resulting in 157 deaths, 88 missing persons, and thousands of homes destroyed. Also, in the same year, wildfires devastated 11.39 million hectares across the country, an increase of 116% compared to the previous year. Of this total, 70% of the destroyed areas were native vegetation, with August alone accounting for almost half of this area—5.65 million hectares, equivalent to the state of Paraíba. These figures were reported by the Fire Monitor from MapBiomas.
The events we are experiencing, such as uncontrolled wildfires, devastating floods, and ecosystem degradation, are often classified as "natural disasters" by mainstream media. However, it is important to question this categorization. The word disaster, derived from the Latin dis-astro, suggests something cosmic, unpredictable, and beyond human control. Yet, what we are facing is not the result of an unfavorable (or misaligned) alignment of the stars or karmic forces beyond our reach. Instead, they are direct, predictable, and inevitable consequences of human actions, stemming from economic and political decisions that prioritize profit over sustainability and environmental preservation.
Labeling these events as "disasters" evokes notions of misfortune and accident, but it is clear that the environmental and social damage we are witnessing is a direct result of irresponsible economic practices. The destruction of ecosystems and the humanitarian and social harm, seen in Brazil’s fires and floods, have roots in conscious choices aimed at economic progress without considering long-term consequences. These events are not disasters but rather a predictable response to human actions that degrade nature.
Behind these actions is an economic campaign that justifies the uncontrolled use of natural resources and territories, where aggressors seek to acquire goods, materials, ports, and trade routes, rationalizing such acts as the price of progress. However, the damage caused is part of a predictable cycle of destruction, not a cosmic coincidence.
The consequences of these actions, including environmental degradation, contamination of natural resources, increased poverty, and health complications, are mostly foreseeable and caused by human choices. These events cannot be treated as mere chance, let alone as an inevitable disaster. The market economy, which often legitimizes such practices, turns victims into mere consequences of "progress," but we must look beyond this narrative and recognize the human role in causing these events.
We have reached a point where we can no longer hide behind the word "disaster" to justify environmental destruction and the humanitarian tragedies we witness. The floods, wildfires, and devastation that plague Brazil in 2024 are merely symptoms of a larger problem: a predatory economic model that insists on exploiting natural resources without considering the consequences. The truth is clear, and the numbers do not lie. We are not facing forces beyond our control; we are dealing with the results of the choices we make, day after day. Change is possible, but it begins with awarenes
[1] PhD candidate in Human Rights at the Stricto Sensu Graduate Program in Law at UNIJUÍ/RS. PROSUC/CAPES scholarship recipient. Member of the CNPq Research Group: Human Rights, Governance, and Democracy (Mundus). Master’s in Law from the Stricto Sensu Graduate Program at ATITUS/RS. Professor of Law and Management courses at ULBRA/RS. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5330-3414. Email: jessicakempfer@gmail.com
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