RAMPANT FIRES – A global threat of global warming
F
ires sparked by natural causes such as lightning and combustion of organic matter are an integral part of the cycle of life of forests, woodlands and scrublands. Many species have evolved to co-exist with fires which stimulate new growth, while at the same time remove old vegetation. Natural fires also play an important role in the recycling of nutrients and the maintenance of biodiversity.
than usual in June 2019. Although fire is a natural event, the “Black Summer” of 2019 was made worse as many fires were lit deliberately and spiralled out of control.
The rampant fires that destroyed vast swathes of forests and woodlands on three continents – Australia, South America and North America – in 2019 have drawn renewed attention to the effects of climate change and illegal forest clearing. Record-breaking temperatures exacerbated by a prolonged drought in Australia resulted in the fire season starting earlier
You may wonder how that affects us here in Namibia. Satellite photos clearly show how plumes of black carbon drifted more than 7,000 km from Australia towards South America. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) the fires emitted 306 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the air.
36
The Australian fires devastated over 110,000 km² (the size of Namibia’s Hardap Region) of forest and bush, destroyed over 3,000 houses and buildings and killed 33 people, including three firefighters. In early December, Sydney’s air quality measured 11 times the hazardous level.
