Aegean and Mediterranean coastlines being reduced to ash

The forests along the Mediterranean and Aegean coastlines are being reduced to ash with frequent and intense fires. With global warming on the rise, forest fires have become one of the leading natural disasters on the western and southern coastline of Turkey. Though the authorities are trying to prevent the fires, the number of the fires keeps increasing.

Apart from damaging thousands of hectares of farm and forestland, the fires destroyed the life of many animal species in the forested areas. recent fires in the Aegean and Mediterranean that affected Gödence village, Alaçatı, Çeşme Dalyan, Özbek Köyaltı, Uzunkuyu village, Alaçatı Karaköy, Urla Çeşmealtı, Marmaris, Alanya and Bodrum prove the seriousness and sensitive nature of the situation. Moreover fires broke out in the Menemen, Menderes, Selçuk, and Foça districts in the Aegean port city of İzmir.

In Turkey, forest fires are common in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions. The first round of forest fires starts in the dry summer months. The forests are at risk especially in July, August and September. Rising temperatures and the early arrival of spring are fueling more frequent and more intense forest fires. Drought also triggers the fires. The impact of drought, which is certainly an important outcome of global warming, plays a big role in causing fires.

Ninety percent of the forest fires in Turkey start along the 1,700-kilometer coastline starting from Kahramanmaraş all the way to Istanbul, including the Mediterranean and Aegean region. The number of forest fires in Turkey since 1937 stands at 68,000. It is stated that 14 percent of forest fires were started deliberately, while 35 percent were due to negligence.
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