Wildfires in southern Europe: how to prevent them?
Fuelled by persistent water shortages, drought and record temperatures, devastating wildfires are raging across southern Europe, with the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, Croatia, Greece and Turkey all affected. The fires have already claimed lives in Spain and Portugal, and thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes in Greece in recent days. The media criticises the lack of preventive measures.
Reactive measures won't cut it
Many wildfires are avoidable, stresses El Mundo:
“The fires show how important it is to tackle this challenge with the necessary institutional determination. ... It is unacceptable that in a country like ours, which is so exposed to high temperatures, scenes are repeated every year that could be mitigated if both the fire-fighting and prevention services were finally reinforced. Reactive measures are not enough. This serious threat requires a resolute commitment to rural development. ... In most cases, fires are caused by dry fields, heat waves and neglected forests. ... And public outrage is growing because of the political bickering and politicians who respond while on holiday.”
A vicious cycle of repeated mistakes
Dimitris Karavellas, CEO of WWF Greece, takes a critical stance in Kathimerini:
“Based on data from the Fire Service's arson crimes directorate, only 16.8 percent of wildfires over the past two decades have been investigated adequately, and just 12.1 percent have a documented cause. This gap fuels a vicious cycle of repeated mistakes, ineffective policy targeting, and the spread of conspiracy theories. ... Protecting our forests from wildfires cannot rely on speculation or goodwill alone. It demands data, public accountability, and political will.”
Forest management must diversify
Forest areas must be restored to their original state as vibrant habitats, ecology and biodiversity professor Helena Freitas explains in Público:
“The forest has become fragile, falling prey to a combination of prolonged drought, rural exodus and monotonous landscapes dominated by eucalyptus, pine trees, scrubland and invasive plant species. Insisting on fast-growing monocultures means condemning the land to repeat the same tragedy year after year. ... Portugal needs a new, more diverse and more intelligent forestry industry. One that values sustainable and innovative products, promotes quality employment and strengthens local communities.”
Failed agricultural policy
One reason for the rapid spread of the fires is the abandonment of cultivated land, farmer and journalist Jean-Paul Pelras laments in Le Point:
“Where are the politicians now? They offer winegrowers a derisory sum of between 2,500 and 4,000 euros per hectare to give up a tool, part of their patrimony, a centuries-old mode of production that is the only thing capable of stopping the fires. Here in the Aude department in southern France, for example, another 4,955 hectares, or 7.81 percent of the vineyards, have been uprooted. These leaders pronounce their decisions in Paris or Brussels from the comfort of their air-conditioned offices or on televised talk shows without knowing what it costs to save a country when the people have left and it starts to burn!”
Not only the south needs better prevention
The more northerly but densely populated Belgium is also inadequately prepared for wildfires, warns La Libre Belgique:
“The Ministry of Defence recently purchased special kits with which its helicopters can pour water on fires. It is also examining the possibility of converting its large A400M transporters into water bombers. However the fight against forest fires is not so much a task for the army than for the firefighter services and the Civil Protection. And there is every indication that they are not in a position to fulfil this task. The personnel lack the necessary training and the equipment is also not up to standard. Not to mention the land use and urban planning provisions, which tend to neglect this specific area of prevention.”