Wildfires Surge in 2023-2024, Emitting Record Levels of CO2
A groundbreaking annual study titled \"State of Wildfires,\" published in the journal Earth System Science Data, reveals that wildfires have become more frequent and intense due to climate change, releasing a staggering 8.6 billion tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere between March 2023 and February 2024. This marks a 16% increase above the average emissions from wildfires.
While the 2023-2024 wildfire season was notably severe in many regions, a relatively calm fire season in the African savannah prevented it from shattering previous global CO2 emission records.
The study, conducted by the University of East Anglia and collaborating British institutions, highlights that fires in Canada's boreal forests were more than nine times higher than the two-decade average, contributing nearly a quarter of the world's CO2 emissions. The intense fires in Canada led to the evacuation of 232,000 people and the tragic loss of eight firefighters.
Other regions severely affected include the Amazon areas spanning Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and Venezuela, as 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, the study's lead author from the University of East Anglia. \"These fires are becoming more frequent and intense with climate warming, and both society and the environment are suffering the consequences.\"
The researchers concluded that climate change has significantly increased the likelihood of weather conditions that favor wildfires. Specifically, human influence has raised the probability of fire-conducive weather in the western Amazon by at least twentyfold.
However, there is hope. \"The risk can be minimized. It is not too late,\" Jones emphasized during the report's media presentation. \"A low-carbon future offers a lot of respite from the risks we face in the future.\"
Supporting these findings, a June study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution noted that over the past twenty years, the frequency and intensity of extreme wildfires worldwide have more than doubled as human activity has warmed the planet.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
