Kinshasa, 23 February 2022 – A UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report projects a 50 per cent global increase in wildfires by 2100. Greenpeace Africa is calling on governments to boost their preparedness and protect the continent’s rainforests ahead of an infernal century.
The report, “Spreading like Wildfire: the Rising Threat of Extraordinary Landscape Fires”, appears after another recent UNEP report warned that Africa has been hit hardest by wildfires, which burnt an area of 4.23M Square Kilometres per year – about the size of all the 27 countries of the European Union. Fires in Africa amount to 67% of the area of the annual global fires.
“African youth are seeing their future threatened by climate change like a straw man observes a bonfire, while their governments remain wholly unprepared”, says Irene Wabiwa Betoko, International Project Leader for the Congo Basin forest. “As it is useful for one to see the spark before the fire, governments must reckon with the infernal century that their own logging concessions and other land-use changes are igniting”, Irene Wabiwa added.
Wildfire generates smoke, black carbon and other killer pollutants, as well as heatwaves. They degrade ecosystems and accelerate the extinction crisis of species worldwide.
While climate change and land-use change are driving up the threat of uncontrollable flames, the way Africans traditionally use fires is often the most appropriate for the ecosystem and can help prevent dangerous ones.
The report notes positive regional collaboration, such as the work of 14 Member States of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to provide a framework for cooperation on fire management issues.
Greenpeace Africa is calling for deeper collaboration, greater resourcing in preparing local authorities and incorporation of traditional fire knowledge on the level of the Central African Forests Commission.
ENDS
Notes
- The UN report, Spreading like Wildfire is available here
Media contacts:
- Newsdesk Greenpeace Africa: [email protected]