In statements to ‘Euronews’, Thodoris Giannaros, pyrometeorologist and researcher at the Athens Observatory explains what can be done regarding fire management in the midst of a wave of fires in the Greek country.
The most favorable conditions for outbreak and rapid spread of fires they are created by multiple heat waves in summer and minimal rainfall in winter. These conditions have turned Attica (Greece) in a fire pitaccording to scientists, where a small spark can have tragic consequences.
But since these phenomena will now be repeated every summer, preparation must be substantialmultifaceted and multidisciplinary. Thodoris Giannaros, pyrometeorologist and researcher at the National Observatory of Athens, explains to ‘Euronews’ why the fire spread so quickly and how to manage fires in an integrated way.
“We should all agree that when we have a forest fire that occupies this area and reaches the urban fabric of a city like Athens, something has definitely gone wrong. What needs to be done in real time when we have a fire this big is what we call tactical fire analysis. That is, knowing where the fire is, when it is there with precise mapping of the perimeter of the fire, and then using data on the weather, vegetation and topography to be able to predict where it will move, how it will behave and now having this knowledge to really and effectively have a strategy on how to intercept it,” underlines Thodoris Yannaros.
Experts now agree that if appropriate measures are not taken, the risk of desertification of Atticadue to the last catastrophic fire, is more than visible, since in recent years At least 40% of the peri-urban forest has been lost of Attica, while drought indicators show that the basin is semi-arid and that underground water resources tend to be depleted.
You can see the interview complete with Thodoris Yannaros in the video at the top of this page.
