And it is precisely in this respect that a lot still has to happen in Portugal, says Catarina Grilo from the environmental protection organization WWF
Ms Grilo, how is the situation in Portugal?
Just today two large fires were reported in the hinterland of Coimbra. By the end of July, 25,000 hectares of land had burned in Portugal.
More than in previous years?
Not really, but it is worth noting that this was the end of July – and August is usually the hottest month.
So the worst is yet to come?
Hard to say. It depends on the weather. It was really hot here for two weeks, and that’s rather unusual. And as for the fires: the state has done a lot to change the structure of the landscape in recent years, but it will take time. And with climate change and heatwaves, unfortunately, new fires will keep breaking out.
What is landscape transformation about?
First and foremost, it’s about making the landscape more varied, not just having eucalyptus plantations or pine trees or bush land, but areas that are used and overgrown in different ways. Like a mosaic. Should a fire break out in such a diversely structured area – and fire is part of the Mediterranean landscape – it will not spread as quickly as in less diverse areas.
What if the fire does spread?
Then, in the best-case scenario, another principle that the government is trying to establish will come into play. It’s about creating corridors in areas that are characterized by monoculture so that the fire brigade can get to the source of the fire faster. But even more important is prevention. Because no matter how many planes, helicopters or fire engines are in use – if there are fires in several places at the same time, it can hardly be prevented that useful areas or houses are destroyed – and in the worst case people lose their lives.
Remodeling the landscape sounds like a good plan – what’s the catch?
The problem is that they are mostly just pilot projects that focus on specific regions. This should be done on a larger scale. Especially in areas with a high risk of fire. This also includes working out fire protection plans with the landowners. That might mean giving up some land here and there, or giving up some acreage—but by significantly reducing the risk of fire in this way, you’ll increase yields in the long run. Because it doesn’t burn every ten years. What is particularly important for those who grow eucalyptus – the trees have to grow for 13 years before they can be exploited commercially.
Eucalyptus was imported from Australia to have a rapidly renewable raw material for paper. Eucalyptus plantations are monocultures and very susceptible to fire. Would stopping the cultivation help?
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Catarina Grilo studied marine biology and has been coordinating the nature conservation team at the environmental and animal welfare organization ANP/WWF in Portugal since 2020. boh
No, and I want to emphasize this again: We don’t demonize eucalyptus! The problem is not the plant, but how plantations are managed. We know that plantations managed by paper companies have far fewer fires than plantations owned by private individuals who just let the trees grow with the aim of making a little profit in 10 or 13 years. The problem here is that there is no incentive for those who manage small lots to maintain their land and create more diversity. Which is also a kind of fire prevention.
What are the main reasons for the forest fires?
There are several. As I said, fire is part of the landscape. Some are triggered by lightning during a thunderstorm. In other cases it’s arson, mostly by people in, I would say, mental states of emergency. But the majority of fires start when farmers burn down their meadows to allow new grass to grow for livestock. Or they burn the stubble fields to prepare the soil for the next season. Fruit growers burn the prunings – but in all cases it depends on how they do it. Some make huge piles and set them on fire without first watering the ground around them. It’s not allowed, but some do it anyway because they don’t care.
So prevention also means explaining how to make a fire properly and when?
Exactly. The government has also set up a platform for this, where you can apply for a permit if you want to burn tree cuttings. The problem is, it’s online, and few in the country have access to it. But it’s not just on a technical level, it’s also about making people aware that you don’t make a fire when it’s hot and dry. It’s not about increasing fines, it’s more about a kind of social control – even if we know that social control does not only have good effects.
You mentioned at the beginning that 25,000 hectares of land were burned this year. Information recently came from specialist circles that the areas on which there are fires have been declining for years – however, the fires have a much greater impact. Do you see that too?
Yes, but although significantly less forest will burn this year than in 2017, it is the second largest area in the last decade. And with regard to the areas that burned in 2017, we also know that it will take a few more years before enough biomass has built up there again and the risk of fire increases. But if it continues to be this hot and dry then there is a good chance that fires will break out in areas that have not previously been burning.
Do you see the first successes of the programs that have been initiated?
Yes, especially in the last five years. Unfortunately, only a small proportion of areas with a high risk of fire have been included in the fire safety program so far. A program ends in two years. The question is: what happens afterwards? It takes decades to redesign the landscape – the funding should actually last that long.
Do you know how many of the fires are intentional and for what reason?
The Nature Conservation and Forests Institute in Portugal publishes a report on this from time to time, most recently in 2015. According to this, two percent of the fires had a natural cause, about 14 percent of the fires were started intentionally, and the largest part at 60 percent are the fires out of control when someone burns their fields and is careless.
It is said that fires are being set in some areas to make it easier to convert nature reserves into building land.
That was the case many years ago. Until then, in the 1990s, a law was passed that allowed you to build on land on which there was a fire after 15 years at the earliest. There were one or two exceptions later, but I don’t get the impression that these exceptions opened the floodgates for those who want to profit from burnt land.
Interview: Boris Halva
