The global wildland–urban interface

Nature, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 621(7977), P. 94 - 99

Published: July 19, 2023

Abstract The wildland–urban interface (WUI) is where buildings and wildland vegetation meet or intermingle 1,2 . It human–environmental conflicts risks can be concentrated, including the loss of houses lives to wildfire, habitat fragmentation spread zoonotic diseases 3 However, a global analysis WUI has been lacking. Here, we present map 2020 at 10 m resolution using globally consistent validated approach based on remote sensing-derived datasets building area 4 5 We show that phenomenon, identify many previously undocumented hotspots highlight wide range population density, land cover types biomass levels in different parts WUI. covers only 4.7% surface but home nearly half its (3.5 billion). especially widespread Europe (15% area) temperate broadleaf mixed forests biome (18%). Of all people living near 2003–2020 wildfires (0.4 billion), two thirds have their WUI, most them Africa (150 million). Given wildfire activity predicted increase because climate change regions 6 , there need understand housing growth patterns as drivers change.

Language: Английский

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Governance drivers hinder and support a paradigm shift in wildfire risk management in Italy

Regional Environmental Change, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 24(1)

Published: Jan. 13, 2024

Abstract Fire is a fundamental social-ecological process, but combination of changing climate, land use and values at risk increasing the incidence large wildfires with high societal biodiversity impacts. Academic practitioner understanding now converging around need to manage fire as an outcome intersecting governance regimes, comprising geohistorically defined institutions decision-making pathways shaped by earlier wildfires. We investigate this proposition through case study Italy, country greatly affected wildfire characterised strong organisational, socio-cultural geographical variation nationally. To best our knowledge, first collecting analysing qualitative data on how different national sub-national procedures interrelate promote particular management strategies, support or impede adaptive change. Participants in key agencies were consulted across seven nationally representative regions. Findings show highly fragmented institutional structure, where policy responsibilities are increasingly allocated disparate organisations variety scales. Local stakeholder participation has been displaced shift extra-local actors networks. While formally committed adopting precautionary approach risk, practice, emergency response remains default choice, result patchy uncoordinated legislation. Notably, wider international (EU) regulatory context plays muted role governing present results novel action research agenda for Italy southern Europe more generally, emphasising urgent develop new anticipatory systems closer integration cross-scale arrangements.

Language: Английский

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Characterisation of Hedge Burning in the Context of Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Fire Prevention

Fire and Materials, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 8, 2025

ABSTRACT With global warming, the wildfire season tends to get longer, causing fatalities and devastating damage human property. Although many countries have implemented fire risk prevention measures, particularly in Wildland Urban Interfaces (WUI), this finding shows that there are weaknesses measures. This is mainly due a lack of knowledge about WUI exposure conditions. paper presents field‐scale experiments characterise burning rockrose‐reconstructed hedges (6 × 1 m) close building order provide experimental data on heat release rate (HRR), flame front geometry, fluxes building. The mean horizontal extent was 4.4 (±0.7) m with values up 5.5 m. These generally higher than minimum distance be maintained between vegetation buildings most countries. intensity ranged from 283 3479 kW/m, resulting maximum at 3 hedge 45.4 kW/m 2 for total flux 38.1 radiant flux. However, duration short, averaging 112.8 (±27.1) s. type far those used test resistance worldwide. Therefore, obtained study crucial improving methods worldwide, whether fuel management defensible zones or testing materials make more resistant wildfires.

Language: Английский

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How to Approach the Definition of WUI in Northern Europe

Fire and Materials, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 16, 2025

ABSTRACT This article aims to delineate the wildland–urban interface in sparsely populated, limited‐resourced Scandinavian peninsula (excluding Finland). Common WUI mapping assumptions and how different thresholds capture reality of building ignition from wildfire this region are evaluated. We show that dedicated fuel maps areas at risk slightly better than vegetation maps, although choice map per se is less important selected limit for possible ember transport. The commonly used 6.17 buildings/km 2 threshold density fails most incidents have led ignition.

Language: Английский

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Wildfires and Climate Change in the Ukrainian Polissia During 2001–2023

Sustainability, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 17(5), P. 2223 - 2223

Published: March 4, 2025

Climate change, accompanied by anomalously high temperatures and a decrease in precipitation during the warm season, can have serious consequences for ecosystems sustainability of Ukrainian Polissia. In particular, there are increased risks forest peat fires, as well an overall deterioration region’s ecological condition. Between 1990 2021, Polissia region recorded average temperature increase 0.60 °C per decade, along with 3–5% annual precipitation. An analysis spatial distribution wildfire incident density based on satellite data (FIRMS) regions from 2001 to 2023 highlighted several periods sharp increases fires: 2002, 2007–2009, 2014–2015, 2019–2020. The Spring Fire Season Late Summer–Autumn coincide reduced precipitation, which some years reached 40–60% below climatic norm. Although conditions spring 2022 were not dry those 2020, significant parts Kyiv Chernihiv suffered large-scale wildfires due ongoing military actions. fire frequency 2020 highlights different contributing factors: weather anomalies primary cause, while 2022, armed hostilities played key role. Military conflicts only risk fires but also complicate firefighting efforts, making even more vulnerable thereby threatening its sustainability. These findings underscore urgent need integrated management strategies that take into account climate land-use policies, geopolitical factors mitigate escalating threat ensure long-term

Language: Английский

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Human-caused ignition pathways under climate change scenarios in Eastern Spain

Geomatics Natural Hazards and Risk, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 16(1)

Published: March 7, 2025

Language: Английский

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Rising wildfire risks in Europe fuelled by global warming

Research Square (Research Square), Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 3, 2025

Recent extreme wildfires worldwide have raised concerns about the accelerating impacts of climate change. Assessing socioeconomic is challenging due to uncertainties in risk drivers and observational records. Here, we implement a high-resolution data modelling framework quantify fire season length, population exposure weather, wildfire economic damage Europe for range global warming scenarios. Climate change expected lengthen across Europe, particularly southern regions already prone fire-conducive weather. While south faces extended periods high danger, central northern will be increasingly exposed adverse weather conditions. Present direct damages €2.4 billion per year could nearly double with 3°C or more. Mediterranean bear highest burden, annual maximum reaching 5–10% their regional economy. Our findings advocate stringent mitigation, fire-resistant ecosystems, resilient communities near fire-prone areas.

Language: Английский

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Understanding the recreation-conservation nexus in peri-urban landscapes: challenges, opportunities, and knowledge gaps

Nature-Based Solutions, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 100232 - 100232

Published: April 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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Measuring the impact of technological innovation on urban resilience through explainable machine learning: A case study of the Yangtze River Delta region, China

Sustainable Cities and Society, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 106457 - 106457

Published: May 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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Next-gen regional fire risk mapping: Integrating hyperspectral imagery and National Forest Inventory data to identify hot-spot wildland-urban interfaces

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 940, P. 173568 - 173568

Published: May 31, 2024

The increasing threat of high-severity wildfires in Mediterranean Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) areas demands to develop effective fire risk assessment and management strategies. Simultaneously, the newfound accessibility spaceborne hyperspectral data represents a significant potential for generating severity assessments, whereas National Forest Inventories (NFI) offer vast dataset related vegetation fuel loads, which is essential shaping planning strategies forest services. This research work aims advance state-of-the-art WUI mapping western Basin by combining PRISMA Spanish NFI data. proposed methodology had three main stages: (i) at local scale (a wildfire) using Multi-Endmember Spectral Mixture Analysis (MESMA) leveraging field-based measurements Composite Burn Index (70 plots); (ii) development high probability map regional from extrapolation Random predictive model calibrated estimates, topo-climatic variables (overall accuracy = 92 %; Kappa 0.8); (iii) identification characterization zones that concentrate WUIs with if event occurs (hot-spot WUIs) crossing information previous cartography developed scale. Study area was Castilla y León Autonomous Region (larger region, 94,226 km

Language: Английский

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