Wildfires - The Mozambican Response

Wildfires burn several hundred million hectares of vegetation around the world each year and appear to be growing in number and extent, but their impact on developing countries is saddening.

Wildfires burn several hundred million hectares of vegetation around the world each year and appear to be growing in number and extent, but their impact on developing countries is saddening. Fires are used to slash and burn, and as a common method of clearing land in developing countries. This very important cultural method now poses a significant risk as more and more we are seeing pastoral fires get out of hand. Thus we need to do more to educate and inform people about fire risks. The World Health Organization international disaster database estimates that 2000 people have been killed and USD 49 billion lost in 339 major fires worldwide since 1970, making them among the world’s costliest disasters. Both developing and developed countries struggle to suppress such large-scale fires which often cross land ownership boundaries and need the involvement of different jurisdictions of police, fire, and emergency services. Wildfire and climate change are exacerbating. Wildfires are made worse by climate change through increased drought, high air temperatures, low relative humidity, lightning, and strong winds resulting in hotter, drier, and longer fire seasons. Significantly, climate change is made worse by wildfires, mostly by ravaging sensitive and carbon-rich ecosystems like peatlands and rainforests. This turns landscapes into tinderboxes, making it harder to halt rising temperatures. Wildfire in Mozambique The Mozambican government pointed out the "uncontrolled burning", which annually destroys 219,000 hectares of forest, as the main cause of environmental degradation in the country, advocating for the sensitization of the population to end this practice. In 2017, uncontrolled burning destroyed more than 10,000 hectares of forest in the central province of Sofala, an area equal to about 14,000 soccer fields. The number of uncontrolled burnings has been decreasing in recent years. Even so, in 2017, the Provincial Directorate of Land, Environment and Rural Development from Sofala recorded more than eight thousand fires. Poaching and clearing areas for cultivation and grazing have been pointed out as the main culprits of uncontrolled burning. The fires sometimes reach an extent of more than 20 kilometers. Among the major impacts caused by forest fires, besides the vegetation, includes its  impact on fauna, the emission of gases and the destruction of the soil. In the arboreal component, the consequences can be noticed in the alteration of the structure and floristic composition. The dependence of the population that inhabits the interior of the Limpopo National Park on natural resources for their survival is extremely high. It is notable the practice of uncontrolled burning, which is related to the practices of itinerant agriculture, hunting of small animals, need for woody fuel, resulting in the destruction of biodiversity and habitats as well as in the alteration of the floristic landscape of the region. Due to the Wildfire, since 2008 the Mozambican Government adpoted a National Strategy to combat it focusing on a range of points, and some of them are as follow:  Instruct, train, and prohibit the practice of uncontrolled burning; Per year and each District must present to the District Consultative Council, the number of areas affected by uncontrolled burning and the respective damage;  Integrate the uncontrolled burning component into District planning;  Disclose the weather forecast at all levels to avoid burning at times of high temperatures and/or strong winds moments with high temperatures and/or strong winds;  Develop, promote and expand alternative sources of domestic energy (solar panels, biogas, improved stoves);  Promote biennial studies on the impacts resulting from uncontrolled burning; Implement the Forestry and Wildlife Law and Regulation - Deadline permanent; and Promote research on technologies for managing uncontrolled burning including the involvement of academic institutions.  Reference LUSA. 2008. Moçambique perde 219 mil hectares de floresta por ano devido a queimadas descontroladas. Agencias de Noticias de Portugal, S.A. Sebastião, A. 2018. Queimadas descontroladas devastam florestas em Sofala. Sofala. Moçambique. Ministério para a Coordenação da Acção Ambiental. 2007. Plano de Acção para a Prevenção e Controlo às Queimadas Descontroladas 2008-2018. República de Moçambique.  Global: Developing countries hardest hit by wildfires - World | ReliefWeb Queimadas descontroladas destroem vastas áreas de floresta no sul de Moçambique | NOTÍCIAS | DW | 04.06.2017 Queimadas e ventos destroem mais de 20 casas em Matutuine - MMO