UN warn governments are unprepared for expected 50% increase in global wildfires

The UN Environment Programme report Spreading like Wildfire: The Rising Threat of Extraordinary Landscape Fires, identifies the need to focus money on reducing risk of wildfires and providing greater support for front line emergency staff. These will only come from improved planning and the current global related expenditure on planning effort is less than 1%.

The paper calls for adoption of a new ‘Fire Ready Formula’ to assist mitigation of climate change and land management practices, both drivers of increased wildfires.

For more details, see the UN Environment Programme press release.