Since weeks, firefighters in northern Argentina have been exhausted fighting fires. Wildfires have already decimated nearly 8,000 km (3,000 miles) of forest, swamp, and farmland in northern Argentina, a region that is slightly smaller than Puerto Rico.
Jorge Ayala, a resident, said that the incident had never happened to him. He also stated that he has never experienced anything like it. However, wildfires such as this will likely become more common and more damaging in the coming decades and years.
According to a study, extreme fires will increase in frequency and intensity, and be more common in atypical regions like the Arctic. This projection is expected to increase up to 14% by 2030, and 30% by midcentury. UN Environment Programme releases a new report(UNEP), and Norwegian environmental nonprofit GRID-Arendal.
They estimate that fires could increase by up to 50% by 2100. Even if we manage to significantly reduce emissions, the world is likely to see an increase in wildfires, the report said.
These disasters are being increasingly linked to human-caused climate changes, according to researchers. The report, which links the rising severity of fires to an increase in drought, rising temperatures, and strong winds, underscores this fact.
The authors of the report stated that “at the same time, climate changes are made worse by wildfires. These ecosystems are destroyed and release CO2 stored in the atmosphere. This further contributes to global heating and reduces their ability to capture future emissions. They said that this transforms landscapes into tinderboxes, making rising temperatures harder to stop.
Fires ‘disproportionately effect the poorest nations of the world’
This dire prediction is already becoming a reality. These years have seen increasing fire seasons in countries like North America, Brazil and parts of Europe, Siberia, Australia, which have caused havoc on ecosystems and communities all over the globe.
According to the report, wildfires can cause severe damage to crops and homes as well as to human health and the natural world. The fallout can linger for years after fires have been extinguished, especially in parts of the world that lack the resources to rebuild and adapt to the changing environment.
Even areas previously unaffected, such as Siberia in Alaska, are now at risk.
Glynis Huffrey from the University of Cape Town contributed to this report. “Fire affects air, soil, water.” “Fire interacts closely to the climate in terms of carbon emissions, rainfall patterns and other factors. It has an impact on human and ecosystem health. It can also impact the economic position of people and their jobs.
Planning and prevention should be the focus, not responding.
Experts warned that most of the world’s wildfire spending is spent on fighting blazes once they start, with less then 1% going towards planning, prevention and preparedness. Governments will need to “radically change their investments” to address this growing risk and lessen the damage caused by destructive fires.
Inger Andersen is the UNEP executive director. She stated that “current government responses to wildfires are often putting funds in the wrong place.” “We must reduce the risk of wildfires extremes by being more prepared. We need to invest more in fire risk reduction, work closely with local communities, strengthen global commitment to combat climate change.
The report calls for governments to shift two-thirds to planning, preparation, preparedness, and recovery. “It is crucial that fire be included in disaster management.” [for]Humphrey said this during a media briefing. It’s essential.
Reintroduction Key Indigenous Knowledge
The authors highlight the importance Indigenous knowledge to understand wildfires and how they are changing in a changing climate.
Prescribed burns (or “good fires”) can be used to reduce fuel which can feed larger blazes. Other methods include setting up fire breaks, using controlled blazes to create mosaics that discourage wildfire spread, and encouraging the growth of grasses and plants that resist drought.
“As countries grow and economies develop, and the demographics change, many of these traditional practices either wither, change, or decrease over time. [are replaced by]Peter Moore, who was a specialist in fire management at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, said that there are other land practices.
Moore answered a DW-related question by pointing out the fact that Indigenous practices were being recognized and applied in Australia, Canada, and the western US. Organizations like the International Savanna Fire Management Initiative are transferring traditional Indigenous practices to Botswana.
He stressed the importance of documentation and making that knowledge widely accessible to convince people of the value these traditional practices. [Indigenous]It is a valuable skill to have the ability to work with it and bring it back into the landscape.
Edited by Tamsin Walker
