UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Forests are essential for the health of the entire world, UN secretary-general's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Thursday at a press briefing about the Amazon fires in Brazil.
"We are obviously following the reports very closely. We're very concerned about these fires," he said, noting that the fires cause immediate damage and sustaining the forests is crucial in the fight against climate change.
"The international community recognizes this importance of the forests, not only the Amazon, but also the forests in the Congo Basin, in Indonesia," Dujarric said.
Xinhua reported earlier from Brasilia that data from the National Institute for Space Research showed the number of forest fires in Brazil soared by 82 percent from January to August this year compared to the same period last year.
Environmentalists argued the surge of fires in several Amazonian states this month was caused by farmers clearing land.
