How can Europe reduce the wildfire risk?
For many European countries, summer poses a growing number of threats, including wildfires, droughts and record heatwaves. In Greece, Athens' suburbs are facing wildfires for the first time, while in Spain some regions are on red alert for extreme heat. The EU has announced it is investing an additional 600 million euros in its Civil Protection Pool fund. Commentators discuss what action should be taken.
Don't just fight the symptoms
The growing risk of wildfires should lead to fundamental changes, says El Periódico de Catalunya:
“This phenomenon knows no bounds, because the availability of extinguishing agents or sensible land-use planning are just some of the factors that influence the waves of wildfires that ignite in the hotspots of climate change around the world. ... We need to make our landscapes more resilient: using the mosaic principle to avoid contact between residential and production areas where there are highly flammable Mediterranean forests. However, fighting the symptoms alone is not enough. We need to fight the disease: we need to change our consumption habits and our energy, production and transport models.”
Efficient action needed
To Vima demands:
“The government is once again blaming external circumstances, as it has already done in recent years. Climate change is certainly exacerbating the problem, but it does not excuse the inefficiency of government employees, authorities or local actors. ... The government should finally draw up forest maps and spatial structure plans for critical economic sectors such as the energy industry. It makes no sense to talk about local and regional development when local authorities have no decision-making powers. National and international energy corporations decide where and how to develop their activities based on profit alone, whereas local authorities are not allowed to make their own decisions.”
Don't pass on the responsibility
Fighting wildfires should not be left to volunteers, website Imerodromos stresses:
“The policies of the EU and the Greek government are leading to more and more responsibility being shifted to volunteer firefighters and NGOs. In practice this implies a shift to 'personal responsibility', instead of permanent staff with full labour rights and guaranteed payment for overtime being employed. ... The EU insists on not compensating anyone affected by natural disasters, because under the terms of the so-called Solidarity Fund damage to private property is not eligible for compensation. Yet it is quick to invest large sums in supposedly 'green' companies that build on land that has been burnt or land in conservation areas.”
A special fund for Southern Europe
According to media reports, southern European countries are calling for the setting up of a special fund to deal with the consequences of the climate crisis. Jutarnji list comments:
“The question is what the funds would be used for. ... Such a fund could cover insurance against flooding, or focus on water reserves for cooling nuclear reactors. Brussels could also encourage European cities to develop emergency plans for dealing with heatwaves and rising sea levels. ... Heatwaves will become more frequent and more severe in the coming years, droughts will last longer, and fires and flooding will become more intense.”