The urgent consequences of climate delay in the Mediterranean

The purpose of this emergency contribution is to secure information, experiences and opinions about the wildfires that took place in summer 2021 as a result of the extreme dry period in the Mediterrean countries such as Turkey.According to data gathered by European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), last summer Turkey was hit by the most intense blazes the organization has ever recorded.

In the summer months, wildfires in on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast reached the highest daily fire intensity and caused massive forest and agricultural land loss, particularly in the country’s southern regions.

Wildfires primarily impacted rural areas and the damage they incurred demonstrated how wildfires could affect the economic, ecological, and social functioning of local communities.

We believe that a comprehesive study backed by a regional survey should be done now in 2022 to capture these experiences while they are relevant in the forest guards and villagers´ memory and affects their daily work and life situation.