UNEP's ‘Fire Ready Formula

Context: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has called on global governments to adopt a new ‘Fire Ready Formula,’ as it warned that incidences of wildfires would rise in the future.
Key Formula

• The new formula envisages that 66 per cent of spending be devoted to planning, prevention, preparedness and recovery. The remaining 34 per cent can be spent on response.
• Integrated wildfire management was key to adapting to current and future changes in global wildfire risk, the UNEP said in its report released jointly with non-profit GRID-Arendal.
• There was a need to invest more in fire risk reduction, work with local communities and strengthen global commitment to fight climate change.
• Achieving and sustaining adaptive land and fire management requires a combination of policies, a legal framework and incentives that encourage appropriate land and fire use.
• The UNEP has called for development of an international standard for wildfire management has also been recommended.
• This will facilitate international cooperation and help all wildfire-prone countries build capacity for both domestic application and international assistance.

Wildfires is likely to increase

• The UNEP report also projected that the number of wildfires is likely to increase by up to 14 per cent by 2030.
• It is projected to spike by 33 per cent by 2050. It would rise by 52 per cent by 2100.
• Change in land-use and land management practices are also responsible for the increasing risks of wildfires.

Effects

• The changing scale and intensity of wildfires may especially impact achievements in developing countries, across several of the SDGs that impact human health and well-being. These include the SDG goals to end hunger, poverty and the goal on climate action too.
• The true cost of wildfires financial, social, and environmental extends for days, weeks, and even years after the flames subside.
• Eliminating the risk of wildfires was not possible. But much could be done to manage and reduce risks.
• The Fire Ready Formula could help in achieving these goals, according to the UNEP. Wildfires are predicted to worsen in the coming years and decades, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has warned in its annual Frontiers report released February 17, 2022.