Climate Now Debate 2022: How do we beat wildfires?

Can we stop Europe from burning every summer? Will wildfires spread further as the planet warms? Is your city, your town, or your village more at risk today than a decade ago?

The rules of firefighting are changing as the planet warms, and wildfire science is adapting too. Experts are analysing new data sets to help us predict when and where wildfires will break out, and creating smart networks across the continent, so we can learn from each other as we battle the flames. 

To discuss the initiatives underway right now, look back at this summer's unprecedented fire season, and forecast the future of fire prevention, we'll be joined by an expert panel.

Our guests include:

Mark Parrington, a wildfire emissions expert from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service.

Jesús San-Miguel-Ayanz, leader of the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre. 

Cathelijne Stoof, a pyrogeographer and Assistant Professor at Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands.

Marc Castellnou, Legendary firefighter and expert in the field of climate change and wildfire, Associate Professor at the University of Lleida in Spain.

Lionel Berthet, Head of the Sub-directorate for Hazard Knowledge and Risk Prevention, French Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion

Subdirector for Hazard Knowledge and Risk Prevention, French Ministry for Ecological Transition

According to data gathered by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), carbon emissions from wildfires in the EU and the UK this summer, were at their highest in 15 years. These numbers were largely driven by wildfires in southwestern France and the Iberian Peninsula, and in August alone 508,260 hectares of the