From Spain and France to Portugal, Greece and Italy, the list of European countries affected by particularly severe wildfires is long. It even includes colder states such as the UK, Ireland and Norway.
This summer, extreme heat and prolonged drought have heightened the risk of wildfires, which have destroyed more than 6,000 square kilometers of forest and forced hundreds of thousands to leave their homes. By early August, the damage carried an estimated price tag of €15 billion ($17.5 billion).
And according to a study published today by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), the coming decades are likely to see the wildfire risk in Europe worsen.
Annual burned area could triple
The researchers found that even with significantly stronger climate action, 39% more land could be burning annually by the end of the century than it is today.
