Smoke and forest fires are assassins with humanity

An Australian scientist predicts that climate change will make the world's forests burn more and more and cause tremendous damage to human health and money.

>>>Fire fighting machine with wind

Fay Johnston, a University of Tasmania researcher, and his colleagues report the number of deaths from forest fires globally. The team collected the number of deaths from forest fires between 1997 and 2006. They also used satellite data and dispersal models of chemicals to assess the effects of micro-particles. diameters less than 2.5 micrometers escape from fires for human health. Particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter are a major by-product of wildfires.

Johnston found that the sub-Saharan region in Africa was the place where most wildfires killed people (averaging 157,000 lives each year). Southeast Asia ranked second with 110,000 deaths.

Smoke and forest fires are assassins with humanity

Research results show that smoke and dust from fires is one of the most formidable "assassins" for humanity, the research team claims.

'The death toll can be reduced if people stop burning tropical forests to turn them into palm plantations and other plants,' Johnston said.

But in the future, forest fires will become more and more serious. It is anticipated by Mike Flannigan, a University of Alberta professor. Flannigan used the model to understand the severity of forest fires between 2081 and 2090.

The model shows that the number of forest fires increases two or three times across the planet, especially the northern hemisphere.

'That means the number of wildfires will increase by the end of the century due to the warming of the earth,' Flannigan said.

Each year about 350 to 450 million hectares of forest burn each year. If gathering all the forest fires every year in the world into an area, it will have an area of ​​approximately India. Every year humanity has to spend billions of dollars to stamp out and overcome the damage to forest fires.

'The risk of human and infrastructure damage caused by forest fires has only increased in the future, not reduced, because the climate is getting warmer,' comments Flannigan.