Early in the dry season in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on 13 May, 2010, Modis satellites detected hundreds of active fires - marked here with red dots - in southern DRC and north-eastern Angola, a sign that the agricultural burning season was in full swing. More than half of the gross domestic product of DRC comes from the agricultural sector, and fire is a key part of farming in most of Africa. People burn crop residue to clear fields after harvest, and forest and other natural vegetation to clear new land for farming. Fire is also used to drive game and grazing animals to new locations and to stimulate new growth in pastures. This annual burning has taken place for hundreds - possibly thousands - of years, and is not necessarily hazardous. But it can have a strong influence on air quality and public health, as well as on climate and natural resources
Photograph: MODIS/NASA
The Guardian
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