Europe is preparing for a dramatic change in the picture of forest fires.

According to a report presented at the Cyprus Institute, an area comparable in area to the entire island of Cyprus can be destroyed by fire every year. The study, titled “Changing Forest Fires in Europe,” prepared by the European Council of Academies of Sciences (EASAC), highlights that the Mediterranean region has entered an extreme risk zone, with Cyprus among the most vulnerable territories.

Scientists note that traditional methods of extinguishing fires no longer meet the new climatic realities. Despite the overall reduction in the number of fires, Europe is increasingly facing so-called “mega—fires” – rare but extremely powerful foci capable of destroying huge areas in a short time and getting close to cities.

The authors of the report point to an alarming gap between the reality of climate threats and the current policy of the European Union. Currently, the main focus is on emergency response, while the scale of climate-related disasters requires a transition to systemic prevention. Academician Kostas N. Papanikolas warned that without a radical revision of approaches, the environmental and social losses from annual fires will be almost incalculable.

According to one of the lead authors of the study, Dr. Thomas Elmquist, new fires are increasingly occurring in regions that were previously considered safe. Prolonged droughts and the accumulation of highly flammable biomass turn landscapes into ideal fuel for fire. In response, experts are calling for the introduction of nature-based solutions and a complete restructuring of the land use system in order to create fire-resistant territories.

The President of the Cyprus Institute, Professor Stavros Malas, stressed that scientific diplomacy and regional cooperation will play a crucial role in fighting fires. The Fire does not recognize State borders, and therefore the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East must act in concert. As part of the EMME-CCI initiative, the risk of fires has already been recognized as one of the priorities, and Cyprus is assigned the role of a regional scientific center capable of implementing early warning systems based on artificial intelligence and satellite monitoring.

Additional attention at the event was paid to the EU’s decision to establish a specialized Wildfire Hub in Cyprus. It is expected that it will become a strategic platform where EASAC scientific data will be directly used to form practical fire prevention and management programs.

Experts agree that Cyprus needs to move beyond the so-called “destruction phase,” when efforts are focused solely on fighting fire. Professor Efthymios Lekkas, a specialist in disaster management, called for the creation of a sustainable post-disaster model focused on long-term adaptation. This is the only way for affected communities to recover and prepare for the inevitable climate challenges of the future.

The report makes it clear that the era of habitual forest fires in Europe is over. It is being replaced by a time of extreme fiery disasters, and how quickly the Mediterranean countries can adapt will determine their environmental and social security for decades to come.

A source: in-cyprus.philenews.com

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