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What Are The Siberian Fires?

Photos show scale of massive fires tearing through Siberian forests
Credit: Mongabay

Wildfires have raged on in 2020, leaving millions affected; the Siberian Wildfires are not any different. Siberia has been burning for months due to a spike in temperatures causing extreme heat, consequently leading to rampant wildfires. However, what is especially worrying is that there has been no major news coverage about the issue at hand. 


The History

The fires have been burning hectares of land since the beginning of 2020. According to Greenpeace Russia, it is reported that 19 million hectares and 47 million acres of forests, steppes, and fields have been burnt across Siberia since January. Additionally, although fires have occurred in remote areas, villages and towns nearby have been affected due to the smoke impacting the air quality in the region. Due to the poor air quality of the region, the symptoms of the COVID-19 could greatly aggravate the issue. 


According to National Geographic, if the fires become a regular occurrence in Siberia, this will lead to thawing the tundra which could dramatically change the landscapes of the ecosystem. Furthermore, as the fires continue to sprawl around the region, it has allowed the tundra to become a climate hotspot that is heating up faster than the rest of the planet. 


The Opinions

As the fires continue to burn the region, multiple environmental organizations and climate specialists have spoken up regarding the issue. Amber Soja, a National Institute of Aerospace and expert on Siberian wildfires, has said that the fires are large and are far from “burning down”. 


The fires have been affecting the soil as well. Soja also says that the scorched forests can transform into “pyrogenic tundra”, as the fires kill off the trees and burn the seeds stored in the soil. This leads to shrubs taking its place which can lead to an increase in fires as shrubs absorb heat, making it susceptible to fires in the future. 


Furthermore, Greenpeace Russia’s forest expert, Alexey Yaroshenko, has said that only “95% of the registered area of forest are fires that no one extinguishes at all - fires in the so-called ‘control zones’.” The Russian authorities are only allowed to extinguish 5% of the forest fires as it is allowed by law not to extinguish the fires in the ‘control zones’ causing the fires to continue to burn without any external help. Additionally, Yaroshenko has also said that these fires are enabling climate change as the growing forest fires are transforming the forests into “net source of carbon dioxide”.


The conclusion

The Siberian Wildfires have increased the risk of climate change, hence, escalating the risk of arctic permafrost melting. Lack of global awareness of these fires has led to no external action, it is becoming increasingly obvious the risk of climate change, we must act now to save our future from a volatile climate.


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