“People have lost awareness of fire risk”

Over the past decade, Europe has witnessed a dramatic rise in both the frequency and severity of wildfires. By total burnt surface area, 2023 was the fourth worst year since 2000. In this interview, Bachisio Arca, researcher at Italy’s Institute of BioEconomy at the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche talks about the impact of land-use changes as a key factor in the spread of wildfires. Arca contributes his expertise in agrometeorology and environmental science to EASAC’s ongoing project on wildfires.