Advance Report On Forest Fires In Europe Middle East And North Africa 2022

This advance report on wildfires in Europe, Middle East and North Africa 2022 presents results on the evolution of the wildfire campaign in that region on the basis of the data recorded in the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). The 2022 was the second worst year in the Europe in terms of burnt areas and number of fires since 2006, according to the data available in EFFIS. The season was slightly milder in North African and Middle East countries. The burnt area in the European Union (EU) was the second highest ever, only behind the year 2017. The area mapped in EFFIS for the EU was 837 212 ha, which corresponds to an estimated burnt area of 881 275 ha, as EFFIS maps approximately 95% of the total burnt areas reported by the countries. Of special concern are the results on the impact caused by fires to the areas protected within the Natura2000 network, as they include habitats of especial interest which are home for endangered plant and animal species. Burnt areas mapped within the Natura2000 network of protected sites amounted to 365 308 ha, which corresponds to approximately 44% of the total burnt areas in the EU. In terms of affected land cover, those most affected by wildfires were Other Natural Land (29%) and Forests (27%). Preliminary analysis of economic damage by fires in the EU estimate losses of around 2.5 Billion Euro. The European Commission and the European Commission Expert Group on Forest Fires (EGFF) will publish a comprehensive analysis of the wildfire 2022 campaign in October 2023. This will include the national reports by the countries in the EGFF Network, now comprised of 43 countries in Europe, Middle East and North Africa.