Wildfires intensified by climate change released a significant amount of CO2 into the atmosphere between March 2023 and February 2024, according to a groundbreaking annual study published on Wednesday.
The study, titled “State of Wildfires” and published in the journal Earth System Science Data, revealed that fires in natural areas emitted 8.6 billion tonnes of CO2 worldwide during that period, marking a 16 percent increase above the average.
Emissions from wildfires in Canada’s boreal forests were particularly alarming, with levels more than nine times greater than the average over the past two decades. These Canadian fires contributed to almost a quarter of global wildfire emissions. The fires forced the evacuation of 232,000 people and led to the tragic loss of eight firefighters’ lives.
Other regions severely affected by wildfires included the Amazon basin\u2014encompassing Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and Venezuela\u2014as well as Hawaii and Greece.
“Last year, fires killed people, destroyed homes and infrastructure, caused mass evacuations, threatened livelihoods, and damaged vital ecosystems,” said Matthew Jones of the University of East Anglia, the lead author of the study. “These fires are becoming more frequent and intense with climate warming, and both society and the environment are suffering the consequences.”
The authors concluded that climate change has significantly increased the likelihood of weather conditions conducive to wildfires. In the western Amazon, human influence has increased the probability of such conditions by at least a factor of 20.
The study warns that if humanity continues to produce large amounts of greenhouse gases, major fires like those witnessed last year will become more frequent. However, the researchers emphasize that this outcome is not inevitable.
“The risk can be minimized. It is not too late,” Jones stated during a presentation of the report. “A low-carbon future offers a lot of respite from the risks we face in the future.”
Over the past two decades, as human activity has warmed the planet, the frequency and intensity of extreme wildfires have more than doubled worldwide, according to a study published in June in Nature Ecology & Evolution.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
