Global warming is fueling an alarming rise in forest fires worldwide, with the resulting air pollution posing a growing threat to millions, according to two studies by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) published on Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change.
The first study reveals that climate change has resulted in more burned areas in recent decades. Between 2003 and 2019, nearly 16% more forest burned compared to a scenario without climate change, according to a team led by Seppe Lampe of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
The study shows that Australia, South America, North America West and Siberia have been tough hits.
While the overall area burned during this period decreased by 19%, the decline is largely due to the conversion of forested areas for agriculture and other uses, resulting in less land available for fires.
However, where fires do occur, global warming exacerbates their intensity, according to the study. Though heat and drought alone do not ignite these fires, they increase forest susceptibility and contribute to their severity, the researchers say.
The second study, led by Chae Yeon Park of Japan's National Institute for Industrial Science and Technology in Tsukuba, examines the health impacts of these fires.
Fires produce smoke and particulate matter that can penetrate deep into the lungs. The research reveals that deaths from fire-related air pollution rose from approximately 46,400 annually in the 1960s to around 98,750 in the 2010s.
According to the study, over 12,500 annual deaths from fire-related air pollution in the 2010s were attributable to climate change, a stark increase from about 670 deaths per year in the 1960s.
Regions such as South America, Australia and Europe were especially affected.
Lead author Park says that climate change is increasingly threatening public health as smoke impacts more densely populated areas.
However, the study also notes exceptions: in some regions, such as South Asia, increased humidity due to climate change has resulted in fewer fire-related deaths.
The analysis is an epidemiological study that assesses the statistical relationship between risk factors, like particulate matter pollution, and health effects, such as cardiovascular diseases.
While these studies establish correlations, they do not imply causality, resulting in statistical estimates rather than precise figures for clinically identified deaths. Consequently, the actual number may vary.
The findings of these two studies align with a study published last week in the journal Science by an international research team.
According to the study, wildfires are increasingly shifting from tropical savannahs to forests, which burn more intensely and release greater amounts of harmful smoke, according to a group led by Matthew Jones from the University of East Anglia in Norwich. This shift poses significant threats to human health.
