GRID-Arendal.

The effects of high fire frequency are visible in chaparral near San Diego. The entire photographed area burned in 1970, then two fires occurred in 2001 and 2003.

The global tally of extreme wildfires will increase by 50% by century’s end, and governments are not ready.

So says the latest U.N. report released prior to the Environment Assembly’s 5th session next week. 

The paper projects climate change and land use shifts will increase extreme fires by up to 14% by 2030 and 30% by 2050.

It spotlights the American West and Southwest as areas where human-induced warming has multiplied the extent of fires fivefold and doubled the days favorable to wildfires.

More and more, fires outpace the life cycles of even fire-adapted species, worsen air quality and related illnesses in humans and livestock, chemically modify soil and speed up erosion.

The authors call for leaders to shift spending from reaction and response to wildfire prevention and preparedness.