How global warming is turning forests into fuel for wildfires

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🗞️ Driving the news: Wildfires affected 3.7 million square kilometres and 100 million people globally between March 2024 and February 2025, according to the second State of Wildfires report by the University of Melbourne
• The study links the alarming increase in wildfire frequency, size, and intensity directly to climate change — pointing to hotter temperatures, drier vegetation, and worsening fire-prone conditions worldwide.

🔭 The context: Last year’s global burn area was larger than India, with an estimated €183 billion in infrastructure at risk
• In Australia alone, over five million hectares burned in central regions, while the Pantanal-Chiquitano fires in South America were 35 times larger than they would have been without human-induced warming
• The Amazon experienced its worst fire season in over two decades, releasing more CO₂ than some entire nations, despite reductions in deforestation

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Climate-driven wildfires are not only destroying ecosystems but also reversing the role of critical forests in climate regulation
• New research shows that parts of Australia’s tropical rainforests have flipped from carbon sinks to carbon sources, due to higher tree mortality under extreme conditions
• As wildfires continue to release billions of tonnes of CO₂ and undermine global carbon storage, they pose a cascading threat to biodiversity, climate resilience, and air quality

⏭️ What's next: The report warns that without rapid action to mitigate emissions, restore ecosystems, and improve land management, forests across the globe may increasingly lose their ability to buffer climate impacts
• Scientists stress that while the future is challenging, urgent steps — such as reforestation, Indigenous land stewardship, and climate adaptation policies — can still prevent the worst outcomes

💬 One quote: “We are witnessing the effects of climate change play out across our world on an extreme scale… While the future looks challenging, the report emphasises that it’s not too late to act.” — Dr. Hamish Clarke, University of Melbourne

📈 One stat: In 2024–2025, wildfires burned 3.7 million km² globally, affecting 100 million people and placing €183 billion in homes and infrastructure at risk

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