Türkiye's forest cover increased 7 times more than area burned in 12 years

By Mehmet Can Toptas and Mert Davut

While about 255,000 hectares of land were damaged in fires in Türkiye between 2012 and 2023, 1.7 million hectares were added to the forest asset in the same period.

According to a record compiled by Anadolu based on the data of the country's General Directorate of Forestry (OGM), prevention, extinguishing, and reforestation steps are of strategic importance in the fight against forest fires.

In this regard, the OGM tries to intervene in forest fires in a timely and effective manner by using airplanes, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), watchtowers, cameras and land vehicles.

It is stated that rising temperatures due to climate change also play a role in the fires. Meanwhile, with the afforestation campaign, much more areas than the burned areas are added to the forest inventory.

The data reveal that Türkiye's forest cover in 2012 was over 21.6 million hectares. About 2,450 fires broke out in the same period, affecting 10,454 hectares.

In 2015, forest cover increased to over 22.3 million hectares, while 2,150 forest fires broke out on 3,219 hectares.

Forest cover also increased in 2018, reaching over 22.6 million hectares. In this period, 2,167 fires broke out on 5,644 hectares.

Since 2019, Nov. 11 each year has been marked and celebrated as National Afforestation Day.

That year, Türkiye's forest cover was recorded as being over 22.7 million hectares, while 2,688 forest fires broke out on 11,332 hectares.

In 2020, the forest area reached over 22.9 million hectares. In this period, 20,971 hectares were damaged in 3,399 fires.

In 2022, when the forest area was recorded as being over 23.2 million hectares, 2,160 forest fires affected 12,799 hectares.

Last year, the forest area increased to over 23.3 million hectares, while 2,579 forest fires damaged 15,520 hectares.

Thus, Türkiye's forest area increased by about 1.7 million hectares in the 2012-2023 period.

During the same period, around 255,000 thousand hectares were damaged by forest fires. Thus, Türkiye's forest cover increased about seven times more than the area burned in this period.

About 32,000 fires were fought in 12 years.

- About one-third of fires caused by negligence, accidents

The human role in fires appears as a visible factor behind the causes. In the 12 years, 11,357 forest fires were caused by negligence and accidents that impacted 105,675 hectares of land.

Meanwhile, 3,992 forest fires erupted because of natural causes, damaging 2,699 hectares of land.

In the period 2012-2023, about 89,502 hectares of land were exposed to flames in 14,934 forest fires with unknown causes.

*Writing by Serdar Dincel in Istanbul