2 STATE OF THE WORLD's FoRESTs 2001 responses and regional and international initiatives more than 800 000 ha in Mexico in 1998, said in the prevention, early warning, detection and to have been the country's most difficult control of fires Countries demonstrated their wildfire season in memory. ability to react quickly and effectively to the Although on a smaller scale than in 1997-1998, storms in Europe, which helped to minimize the the global wildfire situation in 1999-2000 was negative environmental, economic and social again serious. Fires were widespread in Indonesia impacts of the storms. Modifications in forest in 1999 and 2000, but not on a comparable scale establishment and management measures are now with the 1997-1998 period. The major fires in 2000 being proposed to reduce the potential risk of occurred in Ethiopia, the eastern Mediterranean storm damage in the future and the western United states Ethiopia had an extreme wildfire season early Forest fires. Large areas of forest around the in the year as a consequence of the delayed world caught fire in 1997 and 1998, when intense onset of the rainy season and increased land El Nino-related drought conditions prevailed. The use pressure. Burning to clear agricultural land extent of these fires and the damage attributed to in the montane forests in the southern part of hem were so immense that one united states the country led to large-scale wildfires and, by newspaper described 1998 as"the year the earth the end of the dry season in April 2000, mor caught fire". At times this seemed to be literally than 100 000 ha of these forests had been true as millions of hectares burned and smoke severely affected or destroyed by fire blanketed large regions such as Central America Wildfires burned about 2.8 million ha of forests and Southeast Asia, disrupting air and sea and grasslands in the United States (as of navigation and causing serious threats to public September 2000). The situation was safety. Seventy people were killed by the fires in particularly serious in the western states, Mexico alone. Ecosystems that an which suffered severe drought conditions. An subject to fires, such as the Amazon rain forest in enormous national firefighting effort was Brazil and the cloud forest of Chiapas in Mexico, mobilized, supplemented by firefight sustained considerable damage. Estimates of forest personnel from Australia, Canada, Mexico and cover burnt by the fires include: New Zealand. This firefighting effort cost the 9.7 million ha in Indonesia(including 6.5 United States about USSl billion. million ha in East Kalimantan), where the The prolonged drought in the eastern economic costs incurred are estimated to have Mediterranean region in mid-2000 led to a bad been between USS4.5 and USS10 billion and 75 fire year for several countries. By the end of million people were affected by the fires, September 2000, more than 150 000 ha had smoke or haze in 1997-1998 been burnt in greece. 2 The Balkan region 4.3 to 7.1 million ha in the russian federation and Turkey also suffered serious wilding (particularly Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia in1998 2.7 million ha in Mongolia in 1997; The above-mentioned fires made"headline nearly 4 million ha, or about 17.5 percent of news, yet frequently occurring and widespread the total area of the brazilian state of roraima, fires in many areas of the world do not always in the fire of 1998 receive coverage by the international press. Hundreds of thousands and sometimes millions of hectares burn annually in fire IThe material for this section was provided by R Mutch and ecosystems, including in dry zones of West Afr IGoldammer. It was collected for the special report on forest fire large areas of Africa south of the equator, Central carried out under FAO's Global Forest Resources Assessment Asia, southern Latin America and Australia. For 2000. This ongoing global study has compiled fire atistics and narratives by country and will provide a the 1990s Provisional data, not yet confirmed2 STATE OF THE WORLD’S FORESTS 2001 responses and regional and international initiatives in the prevention, early warning, detection and control of fires. Countries demonstrated their ability to react quickly and effectively to the storms in Europe, which helped to minimize the negative environmental, economic and social impacts of the storms. Modifications in forest establishment and management measures are now being proposed to reduce the potential risk of storm damage in the future. Forest fires. 1 Large areas of forest around the world caught fire in 1997 and 1998, when intense El Niño-related drought conditions prevailed. The extent of these fires and the damage attributed to them were so immense that one United States newspaper described 1998 as “the year the earth caught fire”. At times this seemed to be literally true, as millions of hectares burned and smoke blanketed large regions such as Central America and Southeast Asia, disrupting air and sea navigation and causing serious threats to public safety. Seventy people were killed by the fires in Mexico alone. Ecosystems that are not generally subject to fires, such as the Amazon rain forest in Brazil and the cloud forest of Chiapas in Mexico, sustained considerable damage. Estimates of forest cover burnt by the fires include: • 9.7 million ha in Indonesia (including 6.5 million ha in East Kalimantan), where the economic costs incurred are estimated to have been between US$4.5 and US$10 billion and 75 million people were affected by the fires, smoke or haze in 1997-1998; • 4.3 to 7.1 million ha in the Russian Federation in 1998; • 2.7 million ha in Mongolia in 1997; • nearly 4 million ha, or about 17.5 percent of the total area of the Brazilian state of Roraima, in the fire of 1998; • more than 800 000 ha in Mexico in 1998, said to have been the country’s most difficult wildfire season in memory. Although on a smaller scale than in 1997-1998, the global wildfire situation in 1999-2000 was again serious. Fires were widespread in Indonesia in 1999 and 2000, but not on a comparable scale with the 1997-1998 period. The major fires in 2000 occurred in Ethiopia, the eastern Mediterranean and the western United States: • Ethiopia had an extreme wildfire season early in the year as a consequence of the delayed onset of the rainy season and increased land use pressure. Burning to clear agricultural land in the montane forests in the southern part of the country led to large-scale wildfires and, by the end of the dry season in April 2000, more than 100 000 ha of these forests had been severely affected or destroyed by fire. • Wildfires burned about 2.8 million ha of forests and grasslands in the United States (as of September 2000). The situation was particularly serious in the western states, which suffered severe drought conditions. An enormous national firefighting effort was mobilized, supplemented by firefighting personnel from Australia, Canada, Mexico and New Zealand. This firefighting effort cost the United States about US$1 billion. • The prolonged drought in the eastern Mediterranean region in mid-2000 led to a bad fire year for several countries. By the end of September 2000, more than 150 000 ha had been burnt in Greece.2 The Balkan region (particularly Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia) and Turkey also suffered serious wildfires. The above-mentioned fires made “headline news”, yet frequently occurring and widespread fires in many areas of the world do not always receive coverage by the international press. Hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions, of hectares burn annually in fire-adapted ecosystems, including in dry zones of West Africa, large areas of Africa south of the equator, Central Asia, southern Latin America and Australia. For 1 The material for this section was provided by R. Mutch and J. Goldammer. It was collected for the Special report on forest fires, carried out under FAO’s Global Forest Resources Assessment 2000. This ongoing global study has compiled fire statistics and narratives by country and will provide a basis for understanding the global fire situation in the 1990s. 2 Provisional data, not yet confirmed