Status: 07/25/2023 2:55 p.m
As is so often the case, the devastating forest fires in the Mediterranean region – especially on the Greek island of Rhodes – can hardly be brought under control. Heat and strong winds play a major role, but experts agree that too little is happening, especially in terms of prevention.
“The weather conditions, the topography and the abundant fuel are currently on the side of the fire, figuratively speaking. And that makes these fires so difficult to control,” forest scientist and fire expert Alexander Held describes the situation on Rhodes in an interview with NDR Info. We couldn’t influence the weather and topography – at least not in the short term. Under the current conditions on Rhodes, fighting is “de facto impossible”, even if more firefighting aircraft are deployed, according to the fire expert.
Prevention is important to prevent forest fires
It is therefore urgently necessary to take preventive action. The available fire load, i.e. what is easily flammable in the forests, for example, must either be reduced, removed or converted into less combustible structures, says Held. Not only has too little been done in Greece, but far too little is happening worldwide. “Portugal is perhaps the most prominent example at the moment, where things are changing, the focus is shifting towards prevention and creating more resilient landscapes.” But it would just be easier to procure vehicles and helicopters than to get involved in long-term processes. From the point of view of the forest scientist, buffer zones are needed on a large scale in order to actually be able to protect infrastructure and villages from flames – under such extreme weather conditions.
Videos
1 Min
Firefighting planes and helicopters are still fighting the flames. Despite the location, some vacationers make their way to the island. 1 min
Fire ecologist: “Landscapes are becoming more sensitive to fire”
Johann Georg Goldammer goes even further. He is Professor of Fire Ecology at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Freiburg and Director of the Global Fire Monitoring Center, which monitors vegetation fires worldwide. The sensitivity of the landscapes in the Mediterranean countries to fire is constantly increasing. The whole thing is being fueled by the climate crisis, said the fire ecologist at NDR Info. The old cultural landscapes, especially in the Mediterranean region, have changed dramatically: “Where agriculture and grazing was still practiced very intensively up to 30 or 40 years ago, land use has largely been abandoned. Young people are moving to the cities, the villages are aging, and vegetation is reclaiming rural areas. Fields that are no longer cultivated are now practically overgrown by trees and bushes. Now the fire simply finds more fuel than it did 30 or 50 years ago.” If you had had satellite systems like today, half a century ago you would have seen very few fires, “simply because there would have been less or nothing to burn,” explains Goldammer.
Basically, the old management methods – i.e. agriculture, forestry, grazing – would have to be restored “in order to bring the country back to a state of equilibrium,” Goldammer demands. In this way one can prevent the fire from finding excessive nourishment. “And here it is important to think about how rural areas can be made attractive again, with subsidies. It’s a mammoth task,” he admits.
What about forest fire prevention in Germany?
Unlike in the Mediterranean region, the topic of forest fires as a visible symbol and symptom of climate change has clearly arrived in Germany – among the fire brigades, forest owners and forest administrations, says fire expert Held. There is a lot of talk about it, there are now even events in winter. But now it’s important: “The players, who all have to do their homework, have to be brought to a common denominator and coordinated in one direction, in order to then work hand in hand with the fire brigade to advance the development, make the fight more effective, make it safer.” In this country, too, the forests would have to be made less combustible, both through short-term measures and in the long term. The forest would have to be conceptually redesigned to be more natural, “so that it is less combustible and when it burns, it burns less well and can regenerate more quickly on its own”.
Further information
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Forestry expert Held believes that reducing this to planting certain types of trees is not enough. “When you walk into a healthy forest, you notice a forest climate that is more balanced, cooler, wetter. And that’s where we have to go.” This can be seen in the mix, the structure, and the wealth of tree species. In principle, the following always applies: Leaves and deciduous trees and shrubs ensure more evaporation in the forest, better soil and more water storage capacity. “More forest conversion must take place in this direction.”
Create awareness in Europe for more prevention
From Held’s point of view, there is now “wonderful” forest fire research in Europe. Politicians are now talking more about prevention and resilience than before. But the civil protection approach – i.e. procuring more extinguishing agents, more aircraft – is still very prominent. Of course, you need a well-equipped fire brigade. Held sees the problem in the fact that prevention is not civil protection, but falls within the areas of agriculture and forestry, tourism and spatial planning. “Different actors come together, so we have to raise awareness: Who is doing what? Or who should do what so that we can all make life a little easier for each other?”
Further information
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NDR Info | Current | 07/25/2023 | 7:53 a.m