Wildfires have cost Europe an estimated €4.1 billion ($4.43 billion) in damages so far this year, as extreme heat seared the Mediterranean from Greece to Spain this summer.
Nearly 400,000 hectares (988,420 acres) of land across the continent has so far been destroyed by forest blazes, according to the report from Distrelec, a major distributor of power sector components, including sensors that give early warnings of potential wildfire activity. The research was based on data from the European Forest Fire Information System.
Read more: Greek Premier Pledges to Boost Prevention Means to Avoid Fires
Greece has suffered the most damage, with an estimated cost of €1.66 billion ($1.8 billion) and more than 161,000 hectares of land destroyed until Aug. 30. The country has witnessed the most destructive forest fires in 16 years. It’s been on high alert for more devastation since the latest blazes that erupted on August 19th left at least 19 people dead.
Spain was the second-most affected country, with around 84,315 hectares of land burned at an estimated cost of €871 million ($941 million), followed by Italy and Portugal. The estimates for economic impact include costs of firefighting, reforestation, damages and clean-up, according to the report.
Climate change induced blazes have impacted other parts of the world too — impacting everything from agricultural output to tourism.
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“The extreme weather – an increasingly frequent occurrence in our warming climate – is having a major impact on human health, ecosystems, economies, agriculture, energy and water supplies,” according to Petteri Taalas, the secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization. “This underlines the increasing urgency of cutting greenhouse gas emissions as quickly and as deeply as possible.”
Greece has been forced to evacuate hundreds as firefighters have used planes and helicopters to douse the fires.
July was officially Earth’s hottest month on record, causing the Antarctic to shrink at a record pace and the European Union’s earth observation agency has warned of “dire consequences” as extreme weather events grow more frequent and intense.
(Updates with chart and context for wildfires)
