In the same week in the fall of 2024, more than 100,000 hectares of land in Portugal was displaced , One area roughly Hong Kong size. Smoke plums were visible from space. It was one of Europe’s largest forest fire that year, killing at least seven people.
Scientists say that the fire occurs more often on that scale.
“Many parts of Europe are facing a great relevant in multi-year-old drawts, which increases the possibility of excessive fire,” said Thomas Almakist, Environment Director of the European Academy Science Advisory Council (EASAC). “Some prefer to experience serious events every two years.”
Around 60,000 forests are angry through the European Union every year, causing € 2 billion ($ 2.2 billion) to economic loss, scientists placed in a report published today. On average, they almost double the size of Luxembourg , Year after year.
Climate change, land use and urbanization fuel fire
Europe is the fastest warming continent in the world. In the last 30 years, the temperature has doubled from the global average. Elmqvist indicates the installed link between climate change and the danger of elevated fire. Drought and low rains are expected to increase the risk of fire by 2100 are expected to double.
Increasing urbanization is another criminal for flames. The abandoned farm and unchanged vegetation growth have created huge landscapes of flammable biomass, analyzed by scientists. Widespread monocultures, especially conifers, pins and eucalyptus trees, ignite rapidly.
For example, the highest risk in Germany is in the north -anticipatory part of the country with its large pine tree plantation, the almakist said.
Less but more destruction in future
After monitoring the wildfire over two years, he concluded that the number of fire and the total area of the burnt really decreased in Europe, “because we have more ability to fight.”
But the fire is large and more severe.
Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece are the most affected, scientists found.
The Mediterranean countries are ready for fire compared to other European countries, Claudia Burchtold has asked Fraunhoff Geselschaft. He is looking at research like a new EASAC study so that a strategy can be prepared for Europe to deal with wildfire.
“In Germany or in the Netherlands, for example, a comparative small fire will complete a system that is not well prepared,” he said.
The study found that more than many urban urban urban is considered a danger of fire in Europe in North America and Asia.
Equalist Pierre Ibisk said, “When a big fire occurs, urbanization has been manufactured in the pine plantation about what happens.” “This is definitely a great risk.”
The German state took place in the small town of Borkwald in Brandenburg. Since 2000, people came close and close to the forest, even after a major fire, there was a evacuation in a nearby city.
Solution: controlled irritation, ecosystem and education
EASAC scientists say that problems like thesis coil are avoided when the landscape planners, foresties and farmers are involved in farmers. So they ask for a public debate about more awareness and changing nature of fire.
Ibisk said, “People living next to the forests or going to the forests do not know how much the fire is and to live here, and we have a chance to reduce the risk by landing.”
Experts say that it is important to implement the discovery of policies as the restoration of the nature restoration of the European Union and to manage the more frequent, most specially to manage forests and restore carbon-rich Peetalland. Permission of feedstock to graze landscape and even burning dried stretch under supervision can increase the intensity of the fire dramatically. “Not all fire is bad”, said the almakist.
Low intensity fire can actually be part of a natural cycle and can inspire fresh regrowth.
Other solutions may be digitally to map the forests, to allow for better monitoring. AI thus can help evaluate the drone images of the wildfire, or to monitor how quickly the inflammatory vegetation grows back after grazing.
Edited by: Sara Stephen
