Climate change is increasing the risk of lightning-induced wildfires, causing significant damage in regions like Canada and the US. As surface heating and atmospheric circulation patterns change, these fires are expected to become more frequent and intense, requiring adaptive strategies and climate action.
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Picture Courtesy: DOWNTOEARTH
Climate change drives more frequent and intense lightning-induced wildfires, threatening forests, communities, and economies globally.
Lightning-induced wildfires are fires ignited by a lightning strike in areas with dry and flammable vegetation.
Climate change is increasing the frequency of lightning-induced wildfires by intensifying droughts and heatwaves, which dry out vegetation and make it more susceptible to ignition.
Global Trend
In Canada, lightning sparks nearly 50% of wildfires.
In the western US, lightning causes over two-thirds of burnt areas, worsening air quality.
Europe lost 1 million hectares of forests in 2025, with lightning triggering fires in Portugal and Spain.
Hotter, Drier Conditions: Rising temperatures and prolonged droughts dry out vegetation, making it highly flammable.
More Lightning Strikes: Climate change increases cloud-to-ground lightning by altering surface heating and moisture patterns.
Fire-Climate Loop: Wildfires release stored carbon, adding 91 million metric tons of CO2 in California alone in 2020, intensifying global warming.
Ecological
Atmospheric and climate
Social and economic
Prediction difficulty: Accurately forecasting which lightning strikes will cause a fire is challenging.
Holdover fires: Lightning strikes can smolder underground for days or weeks before erupting.
Remote location: These fires often ignite in remote, inaccessible areas, making ground-based early detection difficult.
Delayed access: Remote and rugged terrain makes it hard for firefighting crews to reach the fire in time.
Logistical strain: Reliance on costly aerial resources and complex multi-agency coordination in inaccessible locations can strain resources and communication.
Resource shortage: Many fire-prone regions lack sufficient trained personnel and specialized equipment for large, remote operations.
Post-Fire Risks: Burnt areas face flash floods and landslides due to heavy rains.
Pinewood Forests: Uttarakhand’s chir pine monocultures, planted during British rule, burn easily due to resin-rich needles. According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, Uttarakhand faced 5,351 forest fires between November 2022 and June 2023.
Human-Induced Overlap: While 90% of India’s wildfires stem from human activities like slash-and-burn farming, lightning fires add pressure during the pre-monsoon season.
Weak Community Engagement: Rural communities near forests lack training and resources to prevent or respond to lightning-induced fires.
Climate Vulnerability: India’s tropical climate, with rising temperatures and erratic monsoons, amplifies lightning fire risks in states like Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
Limited Technology: India’s fire detection systems, while improving, struggle with real-time accuracy in remote forests, hindering early response.
National Action Plan on Forest Fires (NAPFF): Minimizes fire incidents through prevention, enforcement, and community empowerment.
Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme (FPM): Provides financial aid to states for firefighting equipment, creating fire lines, and awareness campaigns.
Crisis Management Group (CMG): A group headed by the MoEF&CC Secretary to respond to large forest fires.
Satellite-based alerts: The Forest Survey of India (FSI) issues real-time fire alerts via SMS and email using NASA's satellite data.
Geo-portals: "Van Agni" geo-portal offers interactive fire-related data and alerts.
Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs): Involves local communities in fire prevention and suppression efforts.
Incentives: Government incentivizes communities to protect forests from fires under the FPM scheme.
NDRF training: National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been trained to assist with large-scale forest fires.
National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) 2019: Includes a specific chapter on forest fire hazards, for prevention, mitigation, and response.
Strengthen Early Detection: Expand satellite-based Forest Fire Monitoring and Alert System to improve accuracy to 200x200 meters and integrate AI sensors for real-time lightning fire detection.
Community Empowerment: Replicate Nepal’s community model by training Joint Forest Management Committees to monitor and clear flammable vegetation, reducing fuel loads.
Diversify Forests: Replace monocultures like chir pine with native, less flammable species like deodar to reduce fire risks in Uttarakhand.
Invest in Technology: Adopt drones with infrared cameras and AI models to predict lightning fire spread, especially in remote areas.
Climate-Informed Policies: Integrate lightning fire risks into India’s National Action Plan on Forest Fire, with dedicated funding for pre-monsoon preparedness in high-risk states.
Climate change-induced wildfires threaten forests and communities globally. India must learn from Nepal's forest management and invest in technology, community-driven prevention, and ecological restoration to build resilience.
Source: DOWNTOEARTH
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Analyze the relation between climate change and the increasing incidence wildfires. 150 words |
VAN AGNI geoportal provides interactive viewing of forest fire-related data, including real-time detections and fire danger ratings.
The NAPFF was created by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to minimize forest fires through a holistic approach. It focuses on prevention, control, post-fire activities, and community mobilization.
Forest fires contribute to climate change by releasing stored carbon from trees and plants into the atmosphere.
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