Global fire activity is lower than average so far this year, according to Copernicus
Berlin, May 15 (EFE).- Global forest fire activity in the first four months of 2025 was below the average of the last two decades, reported Thursday the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), the climate monitoring component of the European space program.
However, the Bonn-based institution warned that significant fires were recorded in some areas, such as South Korea, where fire emissions were the highest in the 23 years since statistics began being collected for that country.
Activity was lower than usual in Southeast Asian countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, due to factors such as efforts to reduce slash-and-burn agricultural practices.
In the first four months of the year, forest fires in that region have caused an estimated 37 megatons of carbon emissions, less than half of the 79 megatons estimated as the average for the 2003-2024 period.
In addition, CAMS highlighted that as summer approaches in the Northern Hemisphere, wildfires and the resulting emissions are on the rise, with unusual fires already reported in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and northwestern Europe due to drier conditions in recent weeks.
Large fires have also been documented in eastern Eurasia, including within the Arctic Circle, and in Canada.
"Biomass fires and biomass burning have significant impacts on air quality and human health," said Mark Parrington, a CAMS scientist.
Parrington stressed the importance of monitoring fire emissions during global fire seasons to assess the potential impact on the quality of the air humans breathe. EFE
And if you haven't received it yet, you can join our mailing list here.
efeverde
