Environment

The Commission has just published an alarming report: 2023 was one of the years most affected by forest fires in Europe.

In 2023, Europe, as well as Africa and the Middle East, were affected by the worst forest fires since 2000. Last Tuesday, November 19, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre released a rather worrying report, reporting an enormous amount of natural land ravaged or "damaged" by flames: 500,000 hectares in total, almost half the surface area of ​​the island of Cyprus, according to L'Indépendant.

"In recent years, frequent forest fires have broken out throughout Europe and neighboring countries, and 2023 was no exception," the Commission said. In its report, it also highlights that these fires are proof of the “undeniable effects” of global warming, both in terms of the increase in the frequency and intensity of forest fires.

The Commission added: “Climate change is not only increasing the size of areas affected by forest fires, it's also making individual fires more intense, extending the fire season beyond the traditional summer period and causing fires in areas that were not usually affected”.

In the EU, humans are responsible for almost 96% of forest fires. In order to combat this scourge, the Commission would like to point out that it is absolutely “necessary to minimise the number of fire outbreaks and to manage the landscape in vulnerable regions, in particular by preventing the accumulation of high-risk fuels”.

(MH with AsD - Source: L’Indépendant - Illustration: Unsplash)