Climate change set stage for wildfires in Argentina, Chile: Research

By Emirhan Demir

Researchers have found that human-induced climate change created the conditions that fueled wildfires in Argentina's Patagonia region and central-southern Chile.

The World Weather Attribution (WWA) initiative, which quickly assesses how climate change influences the intensity and likelihood of extreme weather events, conducted a study on the wildfires in Argentina's Patagonia and central-southern Chile.

To determine the extent to which human-caused climate change intensified these fires, the researchers examined weather conditions and drought data leading up to the blazes.

In the period before the fires, both regions experienced significantly drier conditions with very low rainfall, increasing vulnerability to fire weather.

The observed changes in the region's climate models showed a strong link to climate change.

Furthermore, in a scenario where the world was 1.3C (34.4F) cooler, the probability of such fire-conducive conditions occurring would have been lower.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), climate change, together with human activities, is increasingly influencing wildfire patterns.

In the future, changing climate conditions are expected to increase both the risk and severity of wildfires, the IPCC's previous special report on 'Climate Change and Land' warned.

* Writing by Selcuk Uysal