The summer of 2023 witnessed an unprecedented wildfire disaster in the Northern Hemisphere. From the United States to Greece, from Canada to Algeria, countless flames devoured forests, grasslands, farmlands and towns, causing hundreds of deaths, thousands of displacements, billions of dollars in economic losses, and incalculable ecological damage.
These wildfires are not accidental, but the direct consequence of global warming. A recent report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Resource Information Database-Arendal Centre (GRID-Arendal) warns that climate change and land use change are making wildfires worse and more frequent. By 2030, the number of extreme fires worldwide will increase by 14%, by the end of 2050 by 30%, and by the end of this century by 50%.
The report calls on governments to adopt a new “fire plan” that allocates two-thirds of spending to planning, prevention, preparedness and recovery, and the remaining third to response. Currently, direct response to wildfires usually accounts for more than half of the relevant expenditure, while planning and prevention expenditure is less than 1%. The report also recommends combining data and science-based monitoring systems with indigenous knowledge, and strengthening regional and international cooperation.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) also warned in its provisional report on the global climate situation in 2023 that record atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and associated cumulative heat have pushed the Earth into unknown territory, with profound implications for current and future generations. Based on data from the first nine months of 2023, the past seven years are becoming the warmest seven years on record. Sea level also continues to rise, reaching a new high in 2023, while the ocean continues to warm and acidify.
These changes not only lead to more frequent, intense, prolonged and significant extreme weather events, but also pose huge threats to food security, population displacement, key ecosystems and the achievement of sustainable development goals. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “Scientists are clear about the facts. Now leaders need to be equally clear in their actions. COP26 must be a turning point for humanity and the planet.”
COP26 refers to the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is held in Glasgow, UK from October 31 to November 12. This is the most important climate conference since the Paris Agreement was reached in 2015. The Paris Agreement aims to limit global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius and strive to keep it within 1.5 degrees Celsius. However, current emission reduction commitments by countries are far from enough, and according to current trends, global temperature may rise by more than 3 degrees Celsius by the end of this century.
Therefore, COP26 faces huge challenges and pressures, requiring countries to show greater ambition and solidarity, accelerate emission reduction actions, enhance adaptation capacity, strengthen financial and technical support, as well as deepen cooperation and trust. Wildfire disaster is a microcosm of the global climate change crisis, as well as an alarm bell. Only by working together can we avoid greater disasters.
