UN body assessing climate change science elects Jim Skea as new chair – Carbon Brief

Wildfires in Europe

Wildfires in Sicily, Italy, have killed three people, adding to the death toll of the wildfires sweeping Europe, reports Forbes.

Sicilian president Renato Schifani said that the island had experienced “scorching heat and unprecedented devastating fires”, adding that it was “one of the most difficult days in decades”, continues Forbes.

In Greece, two people have been killed as wildfires “supercharged by strong winds and temperatures exceeding 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit)” forced further evacuation, reports Reuters.

1. In the past 24 hours, at least 61 wildfires erupted across Greece.

The third wave of 40C temperatures, “the so-called “heat attack” engulfing the Mediterranean country”, peaked on Wednesday, reports the Guardian.

• An estimated 8.5 million people have faced temperatures above 41C and 120,000 faced 46C since the heatwave first hit Greece two weeks ago.

The European Union’s Copernicus climate observatory said emissions from wildfires in Greece have been at their highest for this period of time in the past 21 years, reports Le Monde.

• The country has battled more than 600 fires in the past 12 days.

In Portugal, a wildfire that “erupted” on Tuesday in the mountainous area of Cascais near Lisbon is under control, although firefighters are remaining on the ground to avoid reignition, reports Reuters.

Wildfires in Tunisia and Algeria

Beyond Europe, firefighters in Tunisia have managed to “completely contain” the fires that broke out across a number of regions in the country with help from members of the Algerian army and firefighting planes from Spain, reports Reuters.

• Wildfires had spread from Algeria into regions including forests of Tabarka, Jendouba, Beja, Bizerte and Siliana.

The fires in Algeria left at least 34 people dead, including 10 soldiers, but have also now been contained, adds Reuters.

• More than 8,000 firefighters helped battled blazes across the tinder-dry north in Algeria, as temperatures reached 50C (122F) in some regions.

Impact of Heatwaves

The heatwave across the Mediterranean has now killed more than 40 people in Algeria, Italy, and Greece, reports BBC News.

The Times has mapped the wildfires across nine nations, including France, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Croatia, and Italy, as the “heat dome” stays stubbornly in place across much of southern Europe.

The heatwave may soon end though, reports the Independent, as “subtle changes in the jet stream” are expected to bring temperatures down.

Climate Change and Heatwaves

“The fingerprints of climate change are all over the intense heatwaves gripping the globe this month”, reports the Associated Press.

According to a new report, the deadly hot spells in the American Southwest and Southern Europe “could not have happened without the continuing buildup of warming gases in the air”, it continues.

The heatwave in the US has expanded from the south into the Great Plains, the Midwest, and Northeast, triggering heat alerts for over 170 million people, reports Axios.

Meanwhile, temperatures in Washington could hit 100F for the first time in seven years, reports the Washington Post.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 15: Life on Land

The article discusses the wildfires in Europe and the Mediterranean region, which are directly related to climate change and its impact on the environment and ecosystems. Therefore, SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land) are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters.
• SDG 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services.

The article mentions the devastating impact of wildfires caused by extreme heatwaves, which are climate-related hazards. Therefore, SDG 13.1 is relevant in terms of strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to such hazards. Additionally, the wildfires have a significant impact on terrestrial ecosystems and their services, making SDG 15.1 applicable in terms of conserving and restoring these ecosystems.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for SDG 13.1: Number of deaths, injuries, and economic losses attributed to climate-related hazards and natural disasters.
• Indicator for SDG 15.1: Proportion of important sites for terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity that are covered by protected areas.

The article mentions the death toll and economic losses caused by the wildfires, which can be used as an indicator for measuring progress towards SDG 13.1. Additionally, the impact of the wildfires on forests and other terrestrial ecosystems highlights the need for protected areas to conserve biodiversity, which can be used as an indicator for SDG 15.1.

4. Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: carbonbrief.org

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