The world is witnessing a dire consequence of climate change as wildfires surge, releasing an alarming 9% more CO2 into the atmosphere. This surge in carbon emissions from extreme wildfires has reached a record-high level, devastating ecosystems and communities worldwide.
The Amazon rainforest, a vital lung of our planet, bore the brunt of this crisis in 2024, losing 44.2 million acres to wildfires, a staggering 66% increase from the previous year. The Pantanal wetlands and Chiquitano dry forest on the border of Bolivia and Brazil also suffered extreme fire events, further exacerbating the carbon emissions crisis.
Scientists attribute this alarming trend to climate breakdown caused by human emissions. The State of Wildfires report reveals a grim picture, with carbon emissions three times above average in Canada, four times in Bolivia, and 50% higher in Brazil and Venezuela during the examined period. Africa, despite receiving less international attention, also faced severe wildfires, particularly in Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where vast land areas were scorched in a single week.
The impact of these wildfires extends beyond carbon emissions. They have caused multiple deaths, with the fires in Nepal claiming 100 lives and the Los Angeles wildfires resulting in 31 fatalities. The air pollution caused by these fires exceeded World Health Organization guidelines by up to 60 times, posing severe health risks to affected populations.
The report, compiled by a global team of experts, highlights a concerning trend. It states that climate change is intensifying the frequency and severity of droughts and fire-prone weather conditions, making landscapes more susceptible to burning. Human activities, such as land use changes, further exacerbate the risk of large, fast-moving, or intense fires.
The consequences of these wildfires are far-reaching. The burnt area in southern California was 25 times larger due to human-induced global heating, while in the northeast Amazon, climate change made extreme wildfires up to 70 times more likely and increased the devastation and burnt land area fourfold. Matthew Jones, a co-author of the report, emphasizes the magnitude of the problem, stating that the excess carbon emissions from wildfires are equivalent to the emissions of over 200 countries.
The report calls for urgent action from world leaders to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impact of climate change. With the frequency of such catastrophic events rising, it is crucial to address the root causes and take decisive steps to protect our planet and its inhabitants.
