Wildfire management in Mediterranean-type regions: paradigm change needed
University of Lisbon · Universidade do Porto · +20 more institutions
Abstract
Abstract During the last decades, climate and land use changes led to an increased prevalence of megafires in Mediterranean-type climate regions (MCRs). Here, we argue that current wildfire management policies in MCRs are destined to fail. Focused on fire suppression, these policies largely ignore ongoing climate warming and landscape-scale buildup of fuels. The result is a ‘firefighting trap’ that contributes to ongoing fuel accumulation precluding suppression under extreme fire weather, and resulting in more severe and larger fires. We believe that a ‘business as usual’ approach to wildfire in MCRs will not solve the fire problem, and recommend that policy and expenditures be rebalanced between suppression…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 26.95
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 26
Authors
22Topics & keywords
- Firefighting
- Mediterranean climate
- Climate change
- Fire protection
- Business as usual
- Fire regime
- Function (biology)
- Environmental science
- Climate action