As wildfires devastate Greece, experts debate whether replanting trees or adopting new restoration methods can prevent future fires. Learn about the impact of climate change on Greece’s forests.
BollywoodFever: When a wildfire raced down a hillside toward Athens last month, its southern flank stopped in a treeless area burned two years prior. However, a few miles west, the fire found new fuel: woods and scrub, which provided a path toward the city’s suburbs.
One of the areas in the fire’s path was the leafy village of Penteli, where long-time resident Marlena Kaloudi has lived since the 1970s. The fire ravaged her home, but her greatest loss was the sight of the century-old pine trees, charred and browned. “The biggest disaster…is not our house – this can be restored,” Kaloudi lamented. “It’s those trees that were here before us and we hoped and prayed would be here after us.”
This devastation is an all-too-familiar sight in Greece and the broader Mediterranean region, where climate change-driven wildfires have become more frequent and severe due to rising temperatures and drier conditions.
In the Attica region surrounding Athens, fires have destroyed 37% of the forests and grasslands since 2017, according to data from the National Observatory of Athens. Over 60% of broad-leafed forests and 41% of coniferous forests have been affected, with many areas still struggling to regrow.
This widespread loss heightens the risk of flash floods on barren land that is no longer protected by tree canopies and root systems. It also leads to rising air temperatures, desertification, and deteriorating air quality, according to experts.
The destruction has fueled a debate about the government’s reforestation efforts. Some call for replanting trees, while others, like fire meteorologist Theodore Giannaros, argue for alternative methods such as planting less flammable vegetation. He stresses that simply replanting trees could provide future fuel for fires, emphasizing the need for a more resilient landscape.
Greece is determined to restore its forests, with 450 million euros from the EU earmarked for a national fire prevention plan that includes planting one million trees in Attica. “The increase of greenery and its preservation is not only a goal of the government but of the entire European Union,” said Efstathios Stathopoulos, Greece’s General Secretary of Forestry.
However, experts like Fernando Pulido, professor of forestry science at the University of Extremadura in Spain, advocate for creating agricultural barriers or planting crops between dense forests to prevent recurring fires.
While Greece grapples with how best to restore its landscape, the damage continues to affect people like Thodoris Arvanitis, an organic farmer north of Athens. Last month’s fire destroyed his farm equipment and crops, amounting to a loss of nearly 1 million euros. Though he plans to rebuild, the fire’s devastation lingers in his mind. “At some point, we couldn’t do anything more. The fire was right outside our farm.”
As wildfires become a growing threat globally, with regions like the U.S., Canada, and Australia facing similar challenges, Greece’s struggle serves as a reminder that the future of fire-prone areas may require new strategies to protect both people and the environment.
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