Climate change led forest fires destroy 13,000 ha of land in Chile
15 December 2022
Published by: https://www.businessworld.in
CHILE – Climate change results in warmer, drier conditions and wildfire risks are being exacerbated by increased drought and a more extended fire season
More than 13,000 hectares of land have been destroyed by forest fires in Chile this year, according to Agriculture Minister Esteban Valenzuela.
The Xinhua news agency quoted the Minister as saying that although there were 9 per cent fewer fires than the previous season, they were more dangerous and resulted in 40 per cent more destroying forests.
According to him, the government has spent USD 94 million to create 243 forestry brigades across the nation in order to fight forest fires.
According to Valenzuela, climate change has made forest fires in Chile worse, just as it has in Spain, France and the US, particularly the state of California on the west coast.
According to the minister, authorities are battling 11 forest fires across the nation right now, eight of which have been placed on red alert by the National Emergency Office due to their rapid spread and threat to nearby homes and communities.
According to Lobos, the National Forestry Corporation’s director of forest fire protection, thermal camera-equipped aircraft assist in monitoring fires and dispatching firefighters (Conaf).
The government increased Conaf’s firefighting budget this year by 30 per cent.
Conaf data shows that 52 per cent of forest fires were the result of negligence or accidents, while 35 per cent were started intentionally.
Climate change, according to research, results in warmer, drier conditions. Wildfire risk is being exacerbated by increased drought and a more extended fire season.
Projections show that an average annual 1-degree Celcius temperature increase would increase the median burned area per year by up to 600 per cent in some types of forests across much of the United States West.
In the Southeastern United States, modelling predicts increased fire risk and a longer fire season, with at least a 30 per cent increase in the area burned by lightning-ignited wildfires by 2060 compared to 2011.
