Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Forest Fires | 24 Oct 2024

Source: DTE

Why in News?

Recently, a study by the Centre for Wildfire Research has found that global CO2 emissions from forest fires have surged by 60% since 2001.  

• Emissions from boreal forests in Eurasia and North America have nearly tripled, with climate change being identified as a major driver behind this increase.

What are the Key Findings of the Study? 

• Pyromes and Global Fire Patterns: The study uses machine learning to group global forest ecoregions into 12 distinct "pyromes," zones where forest fires exhibit similar patterns influenced by climate, vegetation, and human activities. 
  • Grouping these regions aids in understanding fire behavior and predicting the effects of climate change or land use, supporting better fire management  and risk assessment. 
• Geographical Shift in Fire Emissions: The analysis also revealed that apart from tropical and subtropical forest areas, extratropical forest fire carbon emissions from areas located outside the tropics have increased significantly due to climate change. 
• Fire Severity and Carbon Combustion: Globally, the carbon combustion rate in forest fires has risen by 47%, with forests now contributing more to fire emissions than savannahs and grasslands. 
  • Increased fire severity is indicated by more fuel being consumed per unit of burned forest area. 
• Climate Change and Fire Weather: Anthropogenic climate change is driving more frequent and severe droughts, creating "fire weather" conditions, characterized by low fuel moisture and dry, flammable vegetation. 
  • Increased lightning frequency, especially in high-altitude regions, is also contributing to the rise in forest fires. 
• Forest Carbon Stock Destabilization: Carbon stocks in multiple forest types including temperate coniferous forests, boreal forests, Mediterranean forests, and subtropical dry and moist broadleaf forests, are destabilizing due to increased fire severity. 
• Impact on Carbon Accounting: The rise in carbon emissions from forest fires presents challenges to carbon accounting and greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories submitted to the United Nations. 
  • For example, Canada’s 2023 wildfires are thought to have offset much of the carbon sink accumulated in its forests over the previous decade. 

What Are the Challenges Related to Forest Fires? 

• Environmental Impact: Forest fires cause massive loss of biodiversity, damage ecosystems, and release large amounts of carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change. 
  • Fires emit harmful pollutants like particulate matter and greenhouse gases, affecting air quality and causing respiratory issues. 
• Soil Degradation: High-intensity fires destroy nutrients in the soil, reducing fertility and disrupting ecosystems. 
• Resource Loss: Forests provide essential resources like timber, food, and livelihoods for local communities, which are endangered by fires. 
• Difficult Management: The increasing frequency and intensity of fires, exacerbated by climate change, make effective management and control challenging. 
• Human Health: Fires cause health problems for nearby communities due to air pollution and heat exposure, leading to increased healthcare burdens. 
• Economic Loss: Forest fires result in significant economic losses, including costs for firefighting, property damage, and recovery efforts.

Way Forward

• Management Strategies: Effective forest management is crucial, particularly in extratropical regions. Monitoring vegetation and prioritizing areas for intervention can help mitigate risks. 
• Tropical Strategies: In tropical regions, reducing ignitions during extreme fire-prone weather and preventing further forest fragmentation are essential for protecting forests. 
• Fire Management Shifts: In regions with heavy fire suppression history, adopting ecologically beneficial fire practices may prevent forests from turning into carbon sources. 
• Need for Accurate Reporting: The study calls for better reporting of forest fire emissions to the United Nations, addressing the gaps in current carbon budget reports linked to human-induced climate change. 
• Carbon Credits Risk: The increasing risk of fire disturbances must be factored into reafforestation and carbon credit schemes, especially in extratropical regions, to avoid overestimating carbon storage potential.

Read More: FAO Guidelines on Wildfire Management