Since weeks, firefighters in northern Argentina have been exhausted fighting fires. Due to strong winds, little rain, and dry conditions caused by an unusually long drought in northern Argentina, wildfires have already ravaged nearly 8,000 kilometers (3,000 miles) worth of forest, swamp, or farmland. This is a smaller area 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 report by UN Environment Programme and GRID-Arendal, extreme fires are expected to increase by 14% and 30% respectively by 2030 and mid-century.
They predict that wildfires could increase up to 50% by 20100. 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 destroying, which releases CO2 stored in the atmosphere. This further contributes to global warming and reduces their potential to capture future emission. They said that this transforms landscapes into tinderboxes, making rising temperatures harder to stop.
Fires ‘disproportionately impact the poorest countries in the world’
This dire prediction is already becoming a reality. In the past few years, there have been increasingly destructive fire seasons across North America, Brazil, Siberia, Australia and parts of Europe. These have decimated ecosystems and communities throughout the globe.
According to the report, wildfires can cause severe damage to crops and homes, as well as to human health and the environment. 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 previously unaffected regions, including Siberia, the Arctic, are now at high risk.
Glynis Huffrey from the University of Cape Town contributed to this report. “Fire affects air, soil, water,” she said. “Fire interacts closely, in terms carbon emissions and rainfall patterns. It impacts human health 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, or preparedness. Governments will need to “radically change their investments” to address this growing risk and lessen the damage caused by destructive fires.
Inger Andersen (executive director of UNEP) stated that current government responses to wildfires often put money in the wrong places. “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 urges governments and other funding sources to be diverted to planning, prevention, preparedness, and recovery. “It is essential that fire be included in the same category with disaster management [for]Humphrey spoke at a media briefing and said that flooding and droughts are common. It’s essential.
Reintroduction key to indigenous knowledge
Some of the funding should be used for improved monitoring and analysis. However, the authors emphasize the importance of Indigenous knowledge in order to better understand wildfires’ evolution in a changing climate.
Prescribed burns (or “good fires”) can be used to reduce fuel which can feed larger blazes. Another method is to create fire breaks or use controlled blazes to create mosaic landscapes. This will prevent wildfires from spreading or promote grass growth and plants that can ward off 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, a specialist in fire management at UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization said there were 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 W. Walker
