Climate Change Increases Risk of Heatwaves and Wildfires
According to a report published on Thursday by the international network World Weather Attribution, climate change, caused by industrial activities, has multiplied the risk of heatwaves like those that triggered deadly wildfires in Spain and Portugal last August by 40 times.
During the entire month of August, the Iberian Peninsula, located in southwestern Europe, experienced abnormally high temperatures, exceeding 40°C in many regions. This situation led to forest fires, particularly in northern Portugal and western and northwestern Spain. These fires caused the death of several people, ravaged large areas, and required the evacuation of thousands of people.
European scientists who participated in the study concluded that climate change, mainly due to the combustion of fossil fuels, has made weather conditions conducive to wildfires about 40 times more frequent and 30% more intense.
Theo Kipping, a researcher at Imperial College London, stated during a press conference that "without the warming caused by industrial activities, weather conditions as conducive to wildfires would occur only once every 500 years, instead of once every 15 years, as is the case today."
On the other hand, Maja Vahlberg, an advisor at the Climate Centre of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, highlighted that another factor aggravating the impact of climate change is rural exodus, which has left large areas of land less exploited than before. She specified that "the decline of traditional agriculture and grazing limits the natural confinement of vegetation. As a result, lands that were once inhabited and exploited have become more flammable."
Since the beginning of temperature records in 1975, the Spanish meteorological agency has recorded 77 heatwaves in the country. Among them, six have exceeded the usual average by 4°C or more. Five of these heatwaves have occurred since 2019.
The report emphasizes the urgent need to address climate change and its consequences, including the increasing risk of heatwaves and wildfires, to prevent further loss of life and damage to the environment.
