Cyprus and Europe Must Learn to Live with Wildfires ^Featured

The findings of the report “Changing Wildfires in Europe” by the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) were presented at an event jointly organised by the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts and EASAC, and hosted at The Cyprus Institute. The event aimed to inform the public and relevant stakeholders about the growing risk of wildfires in Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Cyprus.

 

The report’s key conclusions—assessing the increasing wildfire risk and proposing policies and measures for prevention, resilience, and adaptation—were presented by two of the report’s lead authors: Dr. Thomas Elmqvist, Professor at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Sweden, and Environment Director of EASAC, and Dr. Orsolya Valkó, Research Group Leader at the HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Hungary.

 

The findings and their implications for Cyprus, Greece, and the wider region were discussed by Professor Efthymios Lekkas, Professor at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and expert in disaster risk management and adaptation.

 

The discussion was moderated by Academician Costas N. Papanicolas, Coordinator of the Academy’s Climate Crisis and Sustainable Development Research Office, who issued a strong warning, noting that in the coming years an area equivalent to the size of Cyprus is expected to burn annually across Europe due to wildfires, with incalculable economic, ecological, and social consequences.

 

In his welcoming address, Professor Stavros Malas, President of The Cyprus Institute, stressed that reducing wildfire risk requires three key actions:

• the scientific community providing robust tools for accurate risk assessment,
• enhanced regional cooperation through science diplomacy, and
• informed policy decisions tailored to the specific conditions of each country.

Presenting the report’s findings, Dr. Thomas Elmqvist highlighted that wildfires are changing in terms of frequency, seasonality, and intensity. Fires are now affecting regions that historically had not been exposed, while although the total number of fires and overall burned area may be decreasing, burned areas are increasingly concentrated in fewer but far more intense events. He also noted the growing occurrence of extreme wildfires within or near urban areas.

 

Dr. Orsolya Valkó outlined eight key policy options to address wildfires in Europe, including:

• investment in integrated wildfire risk reduction measures,
• implementation of nature-based solutions,
• adoption of measures to maintain ecological balance,
• investment in education and public awareness,
• landscape management to reduce vulnerability and maintain resilient ecosystems,
• harmonisation of policies across sectors such as agriculture, environment, and urban development,
• promotion of compact urban development, and
• sustainable management of private land to encourage fire-resilient practices.

In his intervention, Professor Efthymios Lekkas described three main stages of wildfire management: the pre-disaster phase (prevention and awareness), the disaster phase (fire suppression), and the post-disaster phase (recovery and impact management). He emphasised the need to place particular focus on resilience and adaptation during the post-disaster phase to better address future events.

 

The report demonstrates that Europe is experiencing a significant increase in wildfire risk due to climate change, prolonged droughts, land-use changes, and the accumulation of flammable biomass. The Mediterranean region—and Cyprus in particular—is at the forefront of this growing threat, already experiencing impacts that exceed previous climate projections.

 

Recent experience shows that hotter summers, drier winters, and extended dry periods are increasing both the frequency and intensity of wildfires. These fires affect forests, agricultural land, Natura 2000 areas, communities, and the wildland–urban interface, with severe social, environmental, and economic consequences.

 

The EASAC report highlights that existing EU and national policies focus primarily on fire suppression and emergency response. While suppression remains essential, it is no longer sufficient on its own in a warming climate with rising temperatures.

 

EASAC therefore recommends:

• proactive land and landscape management based on risk assessment,
• integration of wildfire risk into spatial planning and climate adaptation strategies,
• investment in prevention, fuel management, and the creation of fire-resilient landscapes, and
• public awareness and education on wildfire risks.

For Cyprus, this means integrating wildfire risk across all policies related to climate adaptation, agriculture, water management, and civil protection.

 

The report also underlines the importance of regional cooperation, as wildfires do not respect national borders. The Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Climate Change Initiative (EMME-CCI) has identified wildfires as a priority area for action. EASAC provides the scientific basis for joint monitoring, modelling, risk assessment, and scenario development at the regional level.

 

The event further highlighted the value of high-resolution satellite data, climate models, and AI-based early warning systems, which can significantly reduce wildfire risk and enhance preparedness and response capabilities. The relevance of the EU decision to establish a Wildfire Hub in Cyprus was also discussed, along with how the report’s findings can contribute to shaping its programme.

 

Part of the modelling and risk analysis presented at the event is already being carried out at The Cyprus Institute, reinforcing Cyprus’s role as a regional centre of excellence in climate and wildfire research. The Institute actively contributes to the development of innovative tools and solutions that support wildfire prevention, early warning, and effective response at both national and regional levels.