Syllabus: GS3/Environment, Conservation
In News
- The US declared an emergency in Los Angeles as the wildfire spread to nearly 3000 acres.
What are Wildfires?
- A wildfire is an unplanned fire that burns in a natural area such as a forest, grassland, or prairie.
- Wildfires are triggered by both natural events which include lightning and volcanic eruption etc and human activity which includes unattended campfires, discarded cigarettes, arson, slash-and-burn farming.
Factors causing wildfires
- Anthropogenic Activities: Increased development near forested areas, also known as the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), heightens fire risks from human activities. Careless actions, such as Illegal campfires or bonfires or use of fireworks during dry conditions.
- Also, loss of forests reduces natural fire barriers and heightens fire risk.
- Dry Winter: Southern California experiences negligible rainfall from October onwards, leading to extremely dry vegetation prone to burning.
- Santa Ana Winds: They are common in California in this season, but this year, they are unusually strong.
- Thus, once a fire started in the prevailing dry conditions, the strong winds made the flames get bigger and spread faster.
- Climate Change: Longer and more intense dry seasons increase vegetation stress due to lack of moisture, exacerbating fire risks.
Impacts of Wildfires
- Toxic Pollutants: Wildfire smoke contains harmful pollutants like PM2.5, NO₂, ozone, and aromatic hydrocarbons.
- These pollutants cause respiratory and heart issues, especially in vulnerable populations.
- Climate Change Intensification: Wildfires release large amounts of CO₂ and methane, contributing to global warming.
- Social & Economic Losses: Destruction of property, infrastructure, and businesses. Communities prone to wildfire areas are often forced to evacuate, losing homes and livelihoods.
- Soil and Land Degradation: Destruction of soil organisms and loss of organic matter.
- Increased soil erosion, leading to loss of fertile land.
Way Forward
- Enhanced Monitoring and Early Warning Systems: Expanding satellite technology and GIS tools to improve early detection and monitoring of fires in real time.
- Ex: The Forest Survey of India developed VAN AGNI, a portal that provides alerts and real-time data on forest fires.
- Global Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing: Strengthening international cooperation to share data, research, and best practices in wildfire prevention and response.
- Forming partnerships between governments, NGOs, and private sectors for coordinated efforts in fire management.
- Addressing Climate Change: Implementing policies to combat climate change and reduce global temperatures, which contribute to prolonged fire seasons.
- Focusing on carbon sequestration strategies, such as forest conservation and reforestation, to mitigate the long-term impacts of wildfires.
| Forest Fires in India – India witnesses around 50,000 to 60,000 forest fire incidents annually, particularly during the dry season (March to June). – The fires are mainly concentrated in states like Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh. – Dry deciduous forests are most prone to severe fires. 1. Evergreen, semi-evergreen, and montane temperate forests are less prone to fires. – Fire-Prone Forest Areas: Over 36% of India’s forest cover is prone to frequent fires. 1. 4% of forest cover is extremely prone, and 6% is very highly fire-prone. 2. 54.40% of India’s forests are exposed to occasional fires. |
Source: IE
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