Socio-Psychological, Economic and Environmental Effects of Forest Fires

Abstract

One of the most common forest disturbances, fire, has a significant influence on the people, societies, economies, and environment of countries all over the world. This study explores the different environmental and socioeconomic effects of forest fires to establish priorities for countries in battling and mitigating the harmful effects of forest fires based on data collected from 382 professionals working in Greece’s forestry and agriculture sectors. Secondary data, especially from Statista, were further utilized to enhance the analytical comparisons and conclusions of this study. Wildfires in Greece destroy agricultural land and greatly impact the rural economy and community. This study showed that forest fires have led to several economic costs, mainly affecting the incomes of different investors in the forest sector in Greece. It was revealed that the overall cost of a fire is determined by the direct and indirect expenditures as well as the price of fire control and preventative methods. Direct expenses are broken down into two categories: direct damage that occurs immediately and direct losses that are caused immediately after a fire. Governments should take the initiative to create and expand bilateral and/or multilateral cooperation and coordination, as well as exchange necessary financial resources, technology, and training, to reduce the effects of forest fires in a fragile international man-made and natural environment.

Temporal and Spatial Analyses of Forest Burnt Area in the Middle Volga Region Based on Satellite Imagery and Climatic Factors

“…Similar trends have been observed in the USA and Europe, where wildfire disturbances have steadily increased over the past few decades [6][7][8]. This upward trend is expected to continue in the future due to human-caused climate change, which will have severe consequences for the environment and economy [9][10][11].…”

Comparison between Post-Fire Analysis and Pre-Fire Risk Assessment According to Various Geospatial Data

“…Within the context of global climate change, the frequency of severe forest fires tends to rise, necessitating an accelerated adjustment of forest fire regimes [2]. Forest fires are complex natural disturbances that significantly influence ecosystem dynamics [3] and have profound impacts on human societies [4,5]. A continuous increase in fire danger and the extent of burned areas in Mediterranean ecosystems across diverse global regions is expected due to factors such as global warming, population growth, and irregular land use [6,7].…”

Can Ensemble Techniques and Large-Scale Fire Datasets Improve Predictions of Forest Fire Probability Due to Climate Change?—A Case Study from the Republic of Korea

“…Forest fires can lead to deforestation, habitat destruction, a reduction in biodiversity, and the loss of soil nutrients within forest ecosystems [9]. They can also have severe economic impacts, including decreased timber and livestock yields, the loss of environmental functions in forests, damage to national parks, industrial disruptions, and transportation disturbances [10]. The increasing frequency of forest fires is thus anticipated to severely disturb forest ecosystems in the long term [11,12].…”