excessive risk Forest fires doubled in the last 40 years in the Mediterranean basin and this also means that the effect is twice as likely to be severe.According to Samira Khodayar, head of the Meteorology group of the Mediterranean Center for Environmental Studies (CEAM).
As a result of the still uncontrollable fire in the interior of Castellón, which has already destroyed 3,800 hectares and is facing an important day to extinguish due to adverse weather conditions, the researcher told Efe that these new conditions are facing nature, a different management of forest land. requires.
“Over the last decades, human effort has managed to reduce the number of fires and we actually have had a long time without many fires in the Community of Valencia. This is due to prevention work, but also The abandonment of the rural environment has increased and mountain uses have changed, and a significant part of these are now gunpowder magazines.. “If we don’t improve forest management, the consequences will be devastating,” he adds.
Climate change changes everything
As this expert explains, climate change creates warmer and wetter conditions and ‘increases risk’that is, the probability of greater numbers of such megafires, known as the sixth generation—the Castellón entity is classified as such.
“Fires have complex dynamics, they are related to many factors, and the first is that the fire itself starts naturally, by lightning or by deliberate or unintentional human action,” he explains.
“Once this occurs, it is soil, wind, humidity or temperature conditions that favor the spread or non-spreading of flames.and – according to the expert – those who condition the speed at which they do so”.
Due to the climate crisis, “conditions are drier and warmer”Everything is drier because the weather is warmer and there is less precipitation.” “Actually, this March, the temperature is two degrees above average and we are also going through a dry period,” he adds.
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Contact address of the environment department: [email protected]