How Much More Could Burn Thanks to Wildfires?
The study says about 39% more land could burn each year by 2100 as hotter, drier and windier conditions intensify fire risk.
- A new analysis from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research estimates wildfire-affected land across Europe could almost triple by 2100, with roughly 39% more land burning annually compared to current averages.
- Across the EU, wildfires have burned roughly 550,000 hectares as of August 12, about two and a half times the typical amount for this time of year. Claire Belcher, director of WildfireLabs at the University of Exeter, noted July conditions in the UK met the "30:30:30 rule."
- PIK researcher Maik Billing reported that widespread increases in burned areas are likely even under warming of around 1.8 degrees Celsius. If temperatures rise by roughly 3.6 degrees, fires will become significantly more prevalent across the Mediterranean and Western Europe.
- Severe conditions in France, Spain, and Greece threaten to overwhelm firefighting resources, PIK scientist Kirsten Thonicke stated. "With climate change, conditions could become so extreme that we really hit limits to what we can do," Thonicke added.
- Introducing herbivores can manage forests naturally by balancing tree ages, Sarah Carter of the World Resource Institute explained. Carter added that preserving historic water systems and avoiding monocultures are crucial strategies for reducing wildfire risk.
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InsideNoVA.com
How much more could burn thanks to wildfires?
Increasingly hot, dry and windy conditions may "substantially extend" regions affected by wildfires.
This study is published while Europe is hit by devastating fires this summer, fuelled by heat and drought, in Belgium, Spain, France and Greece.
A study shows that fire areas could almost triple by the end of the century. Central Europe is particularly affected.
Science Writing, 20 Aug (EFE).- The heat, drought and strong winds generated by climate change will trigger fires in Europe at the end of the century. According to one study, if emissions are reduced, the burned forest surface will increase by 39%, but if they continue to rise, the area ravaged by fire will grow by 192 %.The study, carried out by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and the Senckenberg Society, draws a bleak s…
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