Setting fires

According to Euronews, over 3.9 billion people have been under lockdown since April. We might be thinking that Mother Nature would be able to “take a break” from harmful human activities: deforestation, air pollution, land pollution, water pollution, etc. However, according to Conservation International, a number of rural areas in the tropics currently experience several issues, most notably an increase in the number of wildfires in 2020.

These wildfires have a great effect on the ecosystem and the economy. They destroy animal habitats which may lead to natural imbalances of life. They also release large amounts of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and other fine particles into the air, resulting in respiratory issues to people who are nearby. 

Human actions are also a major cause of wildfires. One example is kaingin farming, also known as slash-and-burn. It is the process of cutting down and burning trees in order to make space for farmlands. As reported by an author at Manila Bulletin, Zaldy Comanda, the pine forest in Kabayan, Benguet lost a total of 165,620 trees and 452.15 hectares because of kaingin on February 11. The fire lasted for 8 days with the damage cost of ₱1,564, 230.

Learning more about wildfires can be particularly beneficial to their prevention, according to a study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. People would learn how to prevent wildfires from happening, not only lessening the damage caused to the environment, but also reducing the cost of putting out those fires, according to the same study. In the future, when people are properly educated on wildfire prevention, wildfires can be more easily prevented, leading to a safer environment of the people.