The impact of climate change on the occurrence of wildfires has been a topic of scientific research for some time. A recent study by the University of East Anglia has found that global warming has increased the risk of wildfires around the world. The study, which is based on 500 studies, satellite measurements, and climate models, shows that between 1979 and 2019, there were 14 additional days of weather conditions that increase the risk of wildfires. The study also found that the risk has increased the most in western North America, Amazonia, and the Mediterranean region.
The study highlights the need for urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming to below two degrees Celsius. Matthew Jones from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research explains that “ultimately, we will have to fight against the increasing risk of wildfires with further warming of the world. Doubling efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limiting warming to below two degrees Celsius is the most effective thing we can do to avoid the worst risks of wildfires on a global scale.”
While the study shows that the risk of wildfires has increased globally, it also reveals that the area affected by wildfires has decreased by 1.1 million square kilometers (25%) between 2001 and 2019. This is due to regional factors such as the conversion of forests into agricultural land or fragmentation of nature. However, the study also notes that the decrease in wildfires is mainly in savannas in Africa, where there have been fewer large bushfires. The study warns that the influence of climate change on wildfires will continue to increase in the future.
