Amazon Fire Information System

Amazon Fire Information System
Name	Amazon Fire Information System
Type	Environmental monitoring and emergency response system
Location	Amazon Basin

Amazon Fire Information System

The Amazon Fire Information System is a coordinated framework for detecting, monitoring, and responding to wildfires and biomass burning in the Amazon Basin, combining satellite remote sensing, ground observation, real-time analytics, and interagency coordination. It supports operational decision-making by linking space agencies, research institutions, conservation organizations, and regional authorities to provide situational awareness across the Amazon rainforest, Cerrado, and adjacent biomes. The system draws on multi-source data streams to inform fire suppression, land management, humanitarian responses, and scientific research.

Overview

The system aggregates observations from orbital platforms such as Landsat program, Sentinel satellite constellation, MODIS, VIIRS, Copernicus Programme and GOES-R Series while interfacing with institutions like National Institute for Space Research (INPE), NASA, European Space Agency, Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), and Fundação Nacional do Índio (FUNAI). Operational partners include World Wide Fund for Nature, Greenpeace International, Conservation International, Rainforest Alliance, and regional bodies such as Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization and national ministries of environment from Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. Data provisioning, modeling, and alerting are supported by research centers like Woods Hole Research Center, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, University of São Paulo, University of Oxford, Harvard University, and Imperial College London.

History and Development

Early operational capabilities derived from collaborations among INPE, NASA, and NOAA during the late 20th century, leveraging sensors from missions like Landsat 5 and NOAA-AVHRR. The 1990s and 2000s saw expansion through programs such as Terra (satellite), Aqua (satellite), and A-Train (satellite constellation), and institutional growth via initiatives like Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA) and the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization. High-profile fire seasons prompted policy responses involving United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Convention on Biological Diversity, Paris Agreement, and regional emergency declarations by heads of state including administrations in Brasília and Lima. Investments in open-data portals, inspired by projects such as Global Forest Watch, catalyzed partnerships with NGOs like Amazon Conservation Association and agencies such as Food and Agriculture Organization.

Architecture and Components

Core architecture integrates satellite remote sensing, airborne reconnaissance, ground networks, and command-and-control platforms. Satellite inputs include instruments from Suomi NPP, NOAA-20, European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, and research satellites from Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Canadian Space Agency. Modeling components incorporate outputs from WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting Model), Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, FIRMS (Fire Information for Resource Management System), and regional forecasting centers like CPTEC (Center for Weather Forecasting and Climatic Studies). Communication and decision support leverage platforms developed by institutions such as Esri, Google, Amazon Web Services, Esri ArcGIS, OpenStreetMap Foundation, and research infrastructures at INPE and Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology (INCT). Field components include community-based observers coordinated by ATEC (Amazonian Traditional Ecological Knowledge networks), indigenous organizations such as COICA (Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon River Basin), and local fire brigades supported by municipalities like Manaus and Belém.

Data Collection and Monitoring

Real-time and near-real-time monitoring combines thermal anomaly detection, aerosol optical depth retrievals, and burned-area mapping using products from MODIS Active Fire Products, VIIRS 375m, Sentinel-2 MSI, Landsat 8 OLI, and Copernicus Sentinel-3. Ancillary datasets include land cover maps from MapBiomas, deforestation alerts from PRODES, carbon flux estimates from FluxNet, greenhouse gas measurements from OCO-2, and emissions inventories maintained by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change methodologies. Ground truthing is provided through networks run by Instituto Socioambiental, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio), research plots of RAPELD, and monitoring efforts coordinated with World Meteorological Organization and Inter-American Development Bank projects. Data assimilation integrates atmospheric transport models validated against observations from campaigns like SAMBBA and Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia.

Incident Detection and Response

Incident detection uses thresholding, machine learning, and change-detection algorithms developed at centers such as NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, European Space Agency Earth Observation Science Office, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and university groups at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. Alerting protocols follow established chains involving national agencies like INPE, IBAMA, and national civil defense organizations, as well as regional task forces coordinated with Pan American Health Organization for smoke-related health advisories. Response operations may deploy aerial firefighting assets coordinated with air traffic authorities such as Department of Airspace Control (DECEA) and use logistics support from military engineering units in collaboration with nongovernmental entities like Brazilian Red Cross and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Integration with Agencies and Stakeholders

Integration relies on memoranda of understanding, data-sharing agreements, and multi-stakeholder platforms anchored by organizations including Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, United Nations Environment Programme, UNESCO, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and regional research consortia like Red Amazónica de Información Socioambiental Georreferenciada. Indigenous rights and participation engage bodies such as COICA, Assembly of First Nations (regional equivalents), and national indigenous institutes. Private-sector collaborations involve technology firms such as Maxar Technologies, Planet Labs, Airbus Defence and Space, and cloud providers like Google Earth Engine and Amazon Web Services.

Impact, Effectiveness, and Case Studies

Evaluations show varied outcomes: case studies in regions around Xingu Indigenous Park, Mato Grosso, Marajó Island, Madre de Dios, and Roraima illustrate reductions in detection-to-response times and improved situational awareness for agencies like INPE and IBAMA, while long-term trends remain influenced by policies under administrations in Brasília and regional land-use drivers examined in research from University of São Paulo and Imperial College London. Notable campaigns include coordinated responses during the 2019 fire season that mobilized international attention from G7, elicited support from European Commission and led to funding initiatives via Amazon Fund and bilateral aid from countries such as France, Germany, and Norway. Ongoing assessments by IPCC-related research, WWF, and academic consortia continue to refine metrics for effectiveness, resilience, and social impact across Amazonian landscapes.

Category:Fire ecology Category:Remote sensing Category:Amazon rainforest