In 2023, huge wildfires occurred in Canada, Greece and the Amazon.
Research shows that human-induced climate change and land-use changes significantly increase the likelihood of these record-setting fires.
Human-caused climate change increased the likelihood of very dry, fire-prone conditions in the western Amazon last summer by at least 20 times, according to the first State of Wildfire report.
Douglas Kelly of the UK Center for Ecology and Hydrology is one of the lead authors of the report.
Kelly: “We had a pretty big drought in the western Amazon last year, which led to more fires in the rainforest.”
In Canada, human influence has tripled the likelihood of extreme fires caused by hot, dry climate conditions.
As global warming continues, the risk of extreme wildfires will increase.
Kelly: “Take Canada as an example… what we show is that if someone was born at the beginning of the last century, in 1900, they would have a 12% chance of seeing something like what we saw in 2023 of fire.
If the world doesn't do more to reduce carbon pollution, that number jumps to about 50% or more for people born there today.
But Kelly said more ambitious climate action could help limit future risks.
Report source: Sarah Kennedy/ChavoBart Digital Media
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