The season of fires of 2023 was the “wildest in the history of Canada” and the person responsible for the 25% of emissions by forest fires around the world. A report published in the journal Earth System Science Data (ESSD) revealed that the severity of Canadian boreal forest fires was enhanced by the climate change. The same ones generated up to 2 billion tons of CO2which implies the equivalent to the emissions of India.
With extreme heat waves and an increasingly noticeable increase in forest fires In the world, what impact does it have and how is this phenomenon related to climate change?
The impact of the fires in Canada: never before recorded
In 2023Canada experienced a historic wildfire season, never before recorded. Were More than 6,500 fires which scorched nearly 114,000 square kilometres of land, according to the Canadian Interagency Wildfire Centre.
The 2023 Canadian wildfires were the most devastating on record in the country. (Noah Berger/AP)
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The fire phenomenon caused by various factors had an extreme environmental impact in various areas of nature: at the forest level, an area of 77,574 square kilometers of vegetation was burned, which represents 6 times more than the average from 2001 to 2022. This was demonstrated by a study conducted by scientists from the World Resources Institute and the University of Maryland.
The destruction of forests does not only imply the emission of tons of polluting gases, but also the loss of carbon sinks, which are key ecosystems in the fight against climate change.
Also, a curious “zombie effect” revealed that Canada’s fires were never put out. These are fires that persist under the surface during the winter months and remain fed by dry peat and organic matterTechnically, the late 2023 winter season never ended: “I’ve never experienced a snowstorm that smelled like smoke,” Sonja Leverkus, a wildland firefighter and ecosystem scientist in British Columbia, told CBS News.
At the atmospheric level, the United States Environmental Protection Agency revealed that the fires in Canada emitted the same amount of carbon dioxide as those generated by the 647 million cars a yearAccording to the University of Maryland study, carbon dioxide from these fires emitted more polluting gases than India generated by burning fossil fuels in 2023.
These data reveal the vicious circle of a phenomenon enhanced by climate change and that, at the same time, is one of the main causes of global warming.
The Canadian wildfires have destroyed more than 77,000 square kilometres of vegetation. (Canadian Press via AP)
(Read more: Shocking images: California fire ravages northern part of state)
Forest fires: cause and consequence of climate change
Although forest fires occur naturally in many of the world’s warm regions, the climate crisis increases the frequency and severity of these phenomena. This was stated by the report ‘Forest fire situation 2023-2024‘.
The group of scientists led by Matthew W. Jones, confirmed that “changes in climate man-made disasters caused fires were three times more likely in Canada.” In addition, the experts also analyzed fires in the Amazon and found that they were 20 times more likely.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), for its part, also confirmed this relationship in a 2022 report: “the risk of forest fires is increasing in the context of climate change.” Mainly, due to the increase in the frequency and intensity of droughts and periods of climate favorable to fires cause reductions in humidity of vegetation (fuel).
The connection between the phenomenon of climate change and forest fires is increasingly evident. It is explained in a simple way by the attribution studies carried out by the World Weather Attributionwhich explains that the climate change crea warmer, drier and windier weather conditions that contribute to the drought already the spread of fires.
