Outdated maps and scant data hinder EU fight against forest fires

By AFP

As global warming fuels heatwaves, more EU money is being spent on preventing wildfires -- but not always effectively, auditors said on Wednesday, lamenting poor targeting and evaluation processes.

About 39 percent of the European Union's land, some 160 million hectares, is covered by forests and woodlands, according to the EU data.

But about 0.2 percent of it goes up in smoke in the more than 1,000 fires that are reported across the bloc every year.

The European Union allocated at least 3.5 billion euros ($4 billion) between 2021 and 2027 to help member states tackle the problem, according to the European Court of Auditors (ECA).

The money has increasingly been used to finance prevention measures, such as creating firebreaks and clearing vegetation, the court found in a report.

But it "is not systematically spent where needs and risks are highest", it added.

An analysis of four countries found for example that Greece's list of areas prone to forest fires was 45 years old.

Similarly, in Portugal auditors discovered that an outdated hazard map caused an area that was partly flooded after the construction of a dam to be nevertheless prioritised to receive EU funding to tackle forest fires.

And in some Spanish regions, the budget was shared between all provinces, regardless of risks and needs, the ECA added.

Additionally, Brussels had little information on the results of the projects it funded.

The European Commission did not even know the exact amount of EU money member states spend on fires, for this is sometimes banded together with funds allocated to other natural disasters for reporting purposes.

The commission should push countries to use up-to-date risk maps and gather more data on the effectiveness of its funding to then guide members towards the best practices, the ECA said.

"Strengthening preventive measures against forest fires is certainly a move in the right direction," said Nikolaos Milionis, the ECA member responsible for the audit.

"But to prevent EU support from being just a flash in the pan, EU money must be spent in a way that ensures best results and a sustainable impact."

Rising temperatures are leading to longer wildfire seasons and increasing the area burnt in the flames, according to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.