Large wildfire ravages forest in northern Greece as 8 villages are evacuated
Large wildfire ravages forest in northern Greece as 8 villages are evacuated ABC News
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Greek Authorities Evacuate Villages Due to Uncontrolled Wildfire
August 19, 2023, 11:08 AM
Greek authorities on Saturday evacuated eight villages near the northeastern border with Turkey, where a large summer wildfire was burning out of control, whipped on by high winds.
The fire service said more than 130 firefighters, assisted by 14 water-dropping planes and three helicopters, were struggling to contain the blaze and reinforcements were being sent from other parts of the country. The forest fire broke out early Saturday near the village of Melia, east of the town of Alexandroupolis.
There were no immediate reports of injuries to firefighters or residents, but authorities said some houses suffered damages in two of the evacuated villages.
Earlier, a section of a major highway in the area was closed down due to heavy smoke drifting across it.
European Union officials have blamed climate change for the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in Europe, noting that 2022 was the second-worst year for wildfire damage on record after 2017.
Spanish authorities on Saturday ordered the evacuation of thousands of residents of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, as a wildfire that authorities deemed “out of control” raged on for a fourth day.
Residents of Alexandroupolis in Greece were also advised to keep their windows closed due to smoke blown over the town from the fire.
Another smaller wildfire was burning outside Thessaloniki, in the north, the second-largest city in Greece. Earlier, firefighters brought under control a blaze on the western island of Cephalonia.
The fire service has issued a high wildfire alert for the weekend.
Deadly wildfires caused havoc in central Greece last month, forcing the evacuation of some 20,000 tourists on the resort island of Rhodes. Shortly later, two air force pilots were killed when their water-dropping plane crashed while diving low to tackle a blaze on the island of Evia.
Follow AP’s climate and environment coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
Related Topics
- Wildfires
- Greece
- Turkey
ABC News
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
-
SDG 13: Climate Action
- Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters
- Indicator: Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected people attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
- Indicator: Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning into their national policies, strategies, and planning
-
SDG 15: Life on Land
- Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought, and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world
- Indicator: Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area
Analysis
The article highlights the issue of wildfires in Greece and the increasing frequency and intensity of these fires due to climate change. Based on the content of the article, the following SDGs, targets, and indicators can be identified:
1. SDG 13: Climate Action
The issue of wildfires and their connection to climate change aligns with SDG 13, which focuses on taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
- Target 13.1: The evacuation of villages and the efforts to contain the wildfire demonstrate the need to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters.
- Indicators: The number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected people attributed to disasters per 100,000 population can be used to measure progress in reducing the impact of wildfires. Additionally, the integration of mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning into national policies, strategies, and planning can be measured to assess preparedness and response to wildfires.
2. SDG 15: Life on Land
The article mentions the impact of wildfires on land and the need to combat desertification and restore degraded land. This aligns with SDG 15, which focuses on protecting, restoring, and promoting sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.
- Target 15.3: The efforts to combat desertification and restore degraded land affected by wildfires can contribute to achieving a land degradation-neutral world by 2030.
- Indicator: The proportion of land that is degraded over the total land area can be used to measure progress in restoring land affected by wildfires and preventing further degradation.
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 13: Climate Action | Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters | – Number of deaths, missing persons, and directly affected people attributed to disasters per 100,000 population – Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning into their national policies, strategies, and planning |
| SDG 15: Life on Land | Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought, and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world | – Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area |
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Source: abcnews.go.com
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