Last Summers Fires Caused Serious Climate Change in Greece
Last Summers Fires Caused Serious Climate Change in Greece
27 March 2008
published by www.balkantravellers.com
Greece — The massive fires that raged in Greece over the past summer have caused serious climate changes, national media announced.
According to the Centre for Atmosphere and Climate Studies, reported by the Greek Ta Nea, the average maximum temperature on the Pelopennese Peninsula which was one of the regions most devastated by last years fires, will rise by 2.4 degrees Celsius.
Around 20 years will be needed for the restoration of the forest massifs destroyed by the fires, the publication said, adding that in that period the average temperatures are expected to rise by 0.5 degrees Celsius.
As BalkanTravellers.com reported earlier in March, last summer Greece suffered enormous forest fire damage. In what was the worst fire season on record in the past 50 years, between June and September of 2007over 3,000 fires raged across the country with the Pelopennese Peninsula being among the worst hit.
Last year, Greece suffered enormous damages from massive forests fires, in the worst fire season recorded for more than half a century. Over 3,000 fires raged across the country between June and September of 2007. More than 80 people lost their lives and a total of 2,700 square kilometres of forests and farmland and around 2,000 buildings were destroyed.
The imminent threat of desertification pointed out by Ta Nea comes after the media published earlier this month forecasts of another summer of massive forest fires for Greece, caused by droughts and a lack of soil humidity.
