Number of wildfires to rise by 50 percent by 2100 and governments are
not prepared, UN experts warn

Date:
February 25, 2022
Source:
United Nations Environment Programme
Summary:
Climate change and land-use change are projected to make wildfires
more frequent and intense, with a global increase of extreme fires
of up to 14 percent by 2030, 30 percent by the end of 2050 and
50 percent by the end of the century, warns a new UN report. It
calls for radical change in government spending on wildfires,
shifting from reaction and response to prevention and preparedness.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Climate change and land-use change are projected to make wildfires more frequent and intense, with a global increase of extreme fires of up to
14 per cent by 2030, 30 per cent by the end of 2050 and 50 per cent by
the end of the century, according to a new report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and GRID-Arendal.


==========================================================================
The paper calls for a radical change in government spending on wildfires, shifting their investments from reaction and response to prevention
and preparedness.

The report, Spreading like Wildfire: The Rising Threat of Extraordinary Landscape Fires, finds an elevated risk even for the Arctic and other
regions previously unaffected by wildfires. The report is released before representatives of 193 nations convene in Nairobi for the resumed 5th
session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), between 28 February
and 2 March, 2022.

The publication calls on governments to adopt a new 'Fire Ready
Formula,' with two-thirds of spending devoted to planning, prevention, preparedness, and recovery, with one third left for response. Currently,
direct responses to wildfires typically receive over half of related expenditures, while planning and prevention receive less than one
per cent.

To prevent fires, authors call for a combination of data and science-based monitoring systems with indigenous knowledge and for a stronger regional
and international cooperation.

Current government responses to wildfires are often putting money in
the wrong place. Those emergency service workers and firefighters on the frontlines who are risking their lives to fight forest wildfires need to
be supported. We have to minimize the risk of extreme wildfires by being
better prepared: invest more in fire risk reduction, work with local communities, and strengthen global commitment to fight climate change"
said Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director.



========================================================================== Wildfires disproportionately affect the world's poorest nations. With
an impact that extends for days, weeks and even years after the flames
subside, they impede progress towards the UN Sustainable Development
Goals and deepen social inequalities:
* People's health is directly affected by inhaling wildfire smoke,
causing
respiratory and cardiovascular impacts and increased health effects
for the most vulnerable;
* The economic costs of rebuilding after areas are struck by
wildfires can
be beyond the means of low-income countries;
* Watersheds are degraded by wildfires' pollutants; they also can
lead to
soil erosion causing more problems for waterways;
* Wastes left behind are often highly contaminated and require
appropriate
disposal.

Wildfires and climate change are mutually exacerbating. Wildfires are made worse by climate change through increased drought, high air temperatures,
low relative humidity, lightning, and strong winds resulting in hotter,
drier, and longer fire seasons. At the same time, climate change is
made worse by wildfires, mostly by ravaging sensitive and carbon-rich ecosystems like peatlands and rainforests. This turns landscapes into tinderboxes, making it harder to halt rising temperatures.

Wildlife and its natural habitats are rarely spared from wildfires,pushing
some animal and plant species closer to extinction. A recent example
is the Australian 2020 bushfires, which are estimated to have wiped out billions of domesticated and wild animals.

There is a critical need to better understand the behaviour of wildfires.

Achieving and sustaining adaptive land and fire management requires a combination of policies, a legal framework and incentives that encourage appropriate land and fire use.

The restoration of ecosystems is an important avenue to mitigate the
risk of wildfires before they occur and to build back better in their aftermath.

Wetlands restoration and the reintroduction of species such as beavers, peatlands restoration, building at a distance from vegetation and
preserving open space buffers are some examples of the essential
investments into prevention, preparedness and recovery.

The report concludes with a call for stronger international standards
for the safety and health of firefighters and for minimising the risks
that they face before, during and after operations. This includes raising awareness of the risks of smoke inhalation, minimising the potential for life-threatening entrapments, and providing firefighters with access to adequate hydration, nutrition, rest, and recovery between shifts.

The report was commissioned in support of UNREDD and the UN Decade on
Ecosystem Restoration. UNEP will be exploring how further investments
can be made to reduce fire risks in critical ecosystems around the world.

Editor's Note The report is available online:https://www.unep.org/resources/report/spreading- wildfire-rising-threat-extraordinary-landscape-fires special
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==========================================================================


Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220225123552.htm

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