In June 2017, an unprecedented fire struck Pedrógão Grande, Portugal, killing 66 people. This event marked a watershed moment in the awareness of the need to rethink land management in Europe
In the face of the threat of extreme fires, scientific knowledge and technical solutions are not enough: participatory policies and reasoned incentives are needed to respond to the economic and social needs of those who live in the territories
In times when fire reaches previously unknown intensities, fighting it with force is not enough: scientific knowledge and collaboration are needed to question old strategies and develop new ones
Decades of merely utilitarian management have made forests in Europe more vulnerable to extreme fires. To address this threat, a change of direction is needed that respects their complexity, also addressing the taboo of controlled fires
With the climate crisis, the threat of forest fires is getting worse every year. And from the Mediterranean, a global hotspot, it is spreading to unexpected latitudes, forcing society to deeply rethink its relationship with the territory
Wildfires pose a serious threat to the environment and the economy of Cyprus, including summer tourism. Between institutional delays and cooperation efforts between the Greek and Turkish communities, the country needs prevention and a paradigm shift
The vast fires that have hit North Macedonia in recent weeks have called into question the country's outdated system for responding to emergency situations. A problem made more serious by the lack of resources and personnel
Woods and forests are one of the most valuable resources for Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is largely covered by them. Sustainable management of this natural heritage - and the prevention of forest fires, an phenomenon on the rise - face, however, a number of obstacles. Forest scientist Damir Prljača (University of Sarajevo) discusses them, and the value of forests.
In the controversial trial for the disastrous fire that destroyed the Moria refugee camp on the island of Lesvos, which ended with a conviction, the defence used new scientific data on the fragility of ecosystems to the threat of fire
The Greek region of Evros, devastated by fires last summer, is also the external border of the EU: there is a strong temptation to blame the fires on the migrants who cross it. Experts, however, point out the responsibilities of the Greek institutions
