Mediterranean Wildfires Rage: Turkey's Struggle, EU's Inefficiency
The Mediterranean region is grappling with a devastating wildfire crisis, with Turkey currently battling over a dozen blazes. The EU's Civil Protection Mechanism, bolstered post-Greece's 2021 infernos, is struggling with insufficient firefighting aircraft and bureaucratic delays. The Mediterranean, warming 20% faster than the global average, is now Europe's burning heart, demanding urgent action.
Turkey has lost ten firefighters, with more than a dozen fires still raging despite international aid. Southern European governments have been slow to invest in fire prevention measures, such as clearing firebreaks and reinforcing forestry services. The Mediterranean fire season now arrives earlier, lasts longer, and costs more, yet there's no pan-European coordination mechanism in place.
Helicopters from Greece and Italy are assisting in Turkey, while Cyprus has welcomed Israeli and EU firefighting crews and aircraft. More than 100 square kilometres have burned in Cyprus, with at least 12 deaths and hundreds of homes lost. Scientists warn that without emissions policy shifts, fire weather will continue to intensify, with consequences including increased food prices, migration, and political fallout.
Europe urgently needs a vastly expanded firefighting air fleet, a new Mediterranean Adaptation Fund to reduce climate change impacts, and stricter enforcement of carbon compliance. The time for excuses has run out, and international cooperation is crucial to tackle this escalating crisis.
