The Biobío region of Chile has turned into hell on Earth.
Despite international efforts to contain the forest fires, more than 400,000 hectares burned in early 2023.
It was not the first such news in Chile and Latin America, nor will it be the last.
Climate change has exacerbated this picture worldwide, with wildfires expected to increase by 14% by 2023 and 50% by 2050, according to the United Nations (UN).
Figures from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report highlight that while most forest fires are caused by humans (e.g., throwing cigarette butts on the foliage), global warming leads to a drier environment and, thus, an increase in these disasters.
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the number of forest fires in Latin America is very high, with over 40 million hectares burning yearly, representing 14% of the area burned worldwide.
The measures they have taken to address the problem have prevented the spread of these disasters, but heat waves represent another challenge in the current situation.
HUMAN ERROR AND HIGH TEMPERATURES
The main countries in the region agree that human carelessness is the main cause of wildfires.
However, high temperatures have increased the likelihood of wildfires.
In addition, climate change has reduced the ability to store water, produce food and preserve natural areas such as forests, the UN warned in 2021.
For example, when temperatures rise above 38°C, the devastating consequences worsen, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned.
Under current conditions, forests in the northern hemisphere – in Canada, Mexico, the United States, the West Indies, and the Bahamas – are drying out and burning at a rate seen only 10,000 years ago, when the accumulation of charcoal fueled a fire that destroyed much of the planet’s wildlife.
Heat waves are a major cause of wildfires.
Even for 2023, the outlook is grim, with countries such as Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay having recorded temperatures above 40 °C in the past.
The first two countries were the hardest hit.
THE BIGGEST THREAT TO PRIMARY FORESTS
Although they occur in South America, these forest fires could cause global damage.
That’s because the region is home to about 57% of the world’s primary forests.
If the frequency continues to increase, carbon concentrations could increase the likelihood of more intense forest fires occurring at short intervals.
Chile has been in the spotlight since mid-2022 because of recorded fires.
According to UNEP, the most recent fire in the Magallanes region consumed 1,200 hectares of forest in one month.
This figure was surpassed by the February 2023 fire wave, which burned 40,000 hectares.
Argentina was one of the countries with the most fire damage.
Over 1,200,000 hectares of forest have been destroyed in the last 30 years.
At the end of 2022 alone, 95,000 hectares were burned by forest fires in Salta province, according to the National Fire Directorate (SNMF).
Drought was the cause. Brazil is also on the map as one of the countries most affected by fires.
According to Mapbioma’s Fire Monitor, the burned forest area doubled to 2.8 million hectares in 2022, a 93% increase.
The danger extends northward as well.
Mexico joins the list of affected territories.
During the first three months of 2023, at least 1,172 hectares were affected by fires, and the National Meteorological Service (SMS) predicted more than 2,390 wildfires in early spring.
MEASURES TO COMBAT FOREST FIRES
Given that there will be more and more wildfires in the future, there are several initiatives to contain the disaster.
Restoring vegetation has become a priority for the UN.
It proposes to install a drainage system that removes dead leaves and helps irrigate parts of these ecosystems.
This solution also involves indigenous people in the most affected regions to perfect controlled burning to eliminate pests and weeds.
The United Nations also urged leaders in these countries to invest in more efficient irrigation, as agriculture accounts for 70% of all freshwater withdrawals worldwide.
It also recommended warning people not to go into forests in hot weather while efforts to restore protected areas are underway.
The countries that fight the most fires each year in the region, Argentina, Chile, and Brazil, have developed awareness campaigns to prevent people from causing a disaster.
Avoid throwing cigarette butts into forests, minimize campfires in dry weather, and keep green spaces clean of flammable broken plastic bottles.
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