Global Wildfire Crisis and Role of the Arctic Biome

Context 

The world is witnessing an unprecedented escalation in wildfires, with severe impacts on the environment, human safety, and economic stability. Recent events in California, Texas, Oklahoma, and Japan highlight the destructive potential of these fires. This crisis is intertwined with global carbon emissions and the changing role of the Arctic biome.

Escalation of Wildfires Globally

• Recent Incidents: In 2025, wildfires in California (notably the Eaton and Palisades Fires), Texas, Oklahoma, and Japan have caused massive destruction. Over 14,000 structures were destroyed, thousands were evacuated, and dozens lost their lives. The Eaton Fire alone burned over 16,000 hectares, while the Japan fire near Ofunato City affected nearly 2,900 hectares, marking the worst incident in five decades.
• Global Trends: The frequency and intensity of wildfires are increasing due to climate change, which extends fire seasons and creates more favorable conditions for fires. Human activities, such as arson and accidental ignition from power lines, also contribute significantly to these fires.

Wildfire Emissions Data

Carbon Emissions from Wildfires

• January 2025 Emissions: The wildfires that broke out in January 2025 spewed forth 800,000 tonnes of carbon, four times that of the same time in the last decade. This increase comes on the back of global intensification of wildfires. 
• Radiative Power: The heat emitted by wildfires has exceeded the 2003-2024 average by a full order of magnitude; clearly, this is allowing for increased intensity of fires.

Traditional Role of ABZ

• Carbon Sink: Historically, the ABZ, comprising tundra, permafrost, wetlands, and boreal forests, has acted as a major carbon sink, storing vast amounts of carbon in frozen soils and vegetation.

Transition to Carbon Source

• Shifting to emissions: A third of the ABZ can also emit now more carbon than it could absorb. This started before 1990 and was speeded up by wildfires in Eastern Siberia (2003) and Timmins, Canada (2012). 
• Study insight: The analysis from 200 monitoring sites from 1990 to 2020 suggests that there have been net carbon emissions from many Arctic regions. Key carbon-emitting regions are Alaska, Northern Europe, and Siberia. 
• Seasonal imbalances: Late summer emissions (September to May) are now greater than summer carbon absorption, revealing long-term seasonal imbalances in carbon sequestration.

Feedback Loop: Warming–Wildfire–Carbon Emissions

• Permafrost melting: Rising Arctic temperatures speed up melting of permafrost, which releases organic material for decay and carbon dioxide. Change in types of plants, drier soils, and higher temperatures in the upper soil layers exacerbate this activity.
• Vicious Cycle: A forest fire releases carbon back to the atmosphere, which intensifies global warming. This peculiar interaction stabilizes the warming up of the land, thereby increasing its flammability and fire incidence, creating a feedback loop with potential tipping points for climate systems.

India’s Forest Fires & Carbon Emissions

Fire-Prone States: 

• Incident Trends: States like Uttarakhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh have seen significant forest fire incidents. Uttarakhand alone experienced 5,315 fires between November 2022 and June 2023.
• Hotspot Trends: There has been a slight decline in fire hotspot counts from 2.23 lakh in 2021–22 to 2.03 lakh in 2023–24.

Temperature Rise and Fire Risk

• Land Temperature Increase: Studies by IIT-KGP and IITM, Pune, indicate a rise in land temperatures by 0.1º–0.3ºC per decade pre-monsoon and 0.2º–0.4ºC per decade post-monsoon.
• Heatwaves and Fire Vulnerability: Earlier, slower-moving, and longer-lasting heat waves amplify fire vulnerability.

Carbon Emissions from Forest Fires:

Annual Emissions: India emits approximately 69 million tonnes of CO₂ annually from forest fires.

Broader Environmental & Policy Implications

• Loss of Carbon Sink Services: The change in the Arawan Biosphere Reserve from being a carbon sink to a carbon source has severely eroded an important natural buffer against global emissions and has increased the dependence on anthropogenic emission reduction and carbon capture technologies. 
• Climate Justice Concerns: The climate risks pose the greatest dangers to countries with minimum emissions, like India, from other emissions. This necessitates global climate finance, adaptation funds, and early warnings. 
• Forest Management and Prevention: Good forest management, effective fire management, and community-based resilience programs are essential but require international cooperation to protect our shared global commons.

Source: The Hindu

UPSC Mains Practice Question

Q. Discuss the major causes of wildfires and their multifaceted impacts on ecology, human life, and the economy.

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