On November 19, 2024, the EU Commission published a report stating that in 2023, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa experienced some of the worst forest fires since 2000, with over 500,000 hectares of forest affected. The EU in particular has seen repeated catastrophic fires that have challenged traditional firefighting methods. Climate change is increasing both the frequency and intensity of fires. The report emphasizes that around 96% of fires are caused by human activity, making prevention and awareness-raising increasingly important. Until September 2024, the EU’s forest fire damage was below the average of the last two decades, but severe forest fires occurred in Portugal from September onwards, resulting in an above-average annual balance in 2024. To reduce this, the EU is working on better prevention and control strategies, including the promotion of nature-based measures and international cooperation, such as the new agreement with Canada to provide firefighting aircraft.
You can find the full report here.
(Image source: European Commission)