Every year, somewhere in the world, something is burning. Often, it’s a place we’ve never heard of, or one we think of as remote.  

But as the climate crisis accelerates, wildfires are no longer confined to remote forests. They’re becoming a reality for people in both rural and urban areas across the globe – with devastating effects. 

This crisis is both widespread and deeply personal. In the Amazon rainforest, fires continue to escalate. In August 2024, more than 685,000 hectares burned – a 54-percent increase from August 2023. Wildfires also caused widespread destruction around the world, from Portugal to Argentina to South Africa.  

In Episode 2 of TalkLandscape, we explored how to shift from reactive to resilient, from fire suppression to fire prevention – combining traditional knowledge, scientific research and local leadership.  

Find out how communities can not only become more resilient in the face of extreme fires but also restore their landscapes and reduce future fire risks. 

Listen in to our chat with André Guimarães, executive director of IPAM Amazônia, Sarasi Silvester Sinurat, coordinator of GLFx Kalimantan, and Rachael Cavanagh, cultural fire keeper and Indigenous knowledge consultant at Balun Budjabin Consulting. 

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Meet our guests:

André Guimarães is the executive director of the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), a research institute focused on sustainable development in the Amazon and Cerrado regions. Trained as an agronomist, he has previously served as vice president for development at Conservation International in the Americas division, founder and director of Brasil Florestas; coordinator of private sector relations at the World Bank in the Pilot Program for Tropical Forests; director of A2R Environmental Funds and director of Instituto IBio (BioAtlântica) and Imazon. 

Rachael Cavanagh is a Minyungbal mibbiny from the Yugambeh Nation of northern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland, Australia. She is a facilitator, broker and connector, and her work is underpinned by building longstanding, genuine and meaningful relationships among First Nations communities across Australia and internationally. 

Sarasi Silvester Sinurat is a young Indonesian activist dedicated to advocating for Indigenous rights and environmental conservation in Kalimantan. He is the chapter coordinator at GLFx Kalimantan, run by the Ranu Welum Foundation, where he works as chief of community department. Sarasi is committed to empowering Indigenous communities to protect their ecosystems, identity, land and cultural heritage.

Have you experienced a wildfire? Share your story with us on social media using #TalkLandscape.