https://doi.org/10.59132/geo/2026/1/34-44
Izvleček
Podnebne spremembe pomembno vplivajo na pogostost in intenzivnost požarov v naravi, zato so ti eden od kazalnikov spreminjajočega se podnebja. Med bolj ogroženimi območji sveta so tudi države v Sredozemlju, z vročimi in sušnimi poletji. V prispevku predstavljamo značilnosti požarov v naravi v Grčiji, Italiji in Španiji, ugotovljene z analizo podatkov Evropskega informacijskega sistema za gozdne požare (EFFIS) za obdobje 2003–2019. V navedenem obdobju je bilo skupaj 119.130 požarov, ki so skupaj prizadeli skoraj tri milijone hektarjev površin. Ugotovili smo, da se njihovo število in pogorele površine ne povečujejo. Največji delež požarov se je v vseh treh državah zgodil v juliju in avgustu, v Španiji pa jih je bilo veliko tudi v marcu in aprilu. Podrobnejša prostorska analiza na ravni NUTS 2 regij je pokazala, da so v Grčiji in Italiji najbolj pogosti v južnih regijah, v Španiji pa v severozahodnih. Požari v naravi so tudi didaktično zanimivi, saj lahko učencem z njimi pojasnimo vzročno-posledične povezave s podnebjem, značilnostmi rastja in rabo zemljišč.
Abstract
Geographical characteristics of fires in Greece, Italy and Spain
Climate change has a significant impact on the frequency and intensity of wildfires, and wildfires themselves are considered one of the indicators of climate change. Among the more vulnerable regions of the world are the Mediterranean countries, characterized by hot and dry summers. This article presents the characteristics of wildfires in Greece, Italy and Spain, based on an analysis of data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) for the period 2003–2019. During this period, a total of 119,130 wildfires occurred, affecting almost three million hectares. Our analysis shows that neither the number of fires nor the total burned area is increasing. The highest share of fires in all three countries occurred in July and August, while in Spain a substantial number also occurred in March and April. A more detailed spatial analysis at the NUTS 2 regional level revealed that wildfires are most frequent in the southern regions of Greece and Italy, and in the northwestern regions of Spain. Wildfires also have didactic potential, as they can be used to help students understand the causal connections between climate, vegetation characteristics, and land-use practices.