22/08/2019 14:38
Brazil environment minister heckled over Amazon fires
Brazil's environment minister, Ricardo Salles, was heckled at a meeting on climate change on Wednesday over the record number of fires in the Amazon.
Satellite data published by the National Institute for Space research (Inpe) shows an increase of 84% this year.
Some of those attending the meeting shouted "the Amazon region is burning" as Mr Salles stepped onto the podium.
Conservationists have blamed Brazil's government for the Amazon's plight.
They say Brazil's far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, has encouraged the clearing of land by loggers and farmers thereby speeding up the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.
The largest rainforest in the world, the Amazon is a vital carbon store that slows down the pace of global warming.