Fires were always a fact of Greek life, but now they’re worse
Al JazeeraJul 19, 2023
Over the weekend, Corfu became the second Greek island — along with Rhodes — to evacuate residents ahead of explosive wildfires. The Greek Coast Guard has evacuated over 20K on both islands.
The Corfu wildfire began on Sunday afternoon as the windy and dry conditions quickly spread the fire to nearby towns and villages. The advancing fire spurred the Emergency Communications Service to issue an evacuation warning for 18 areas of the island.
The Greek government recognizes the seriousness of the threats that come with a changing climate. While hazards like wildfires have increased, so has the Greek government's response to the causes of challenging climate conditions. Greece has increased its electricity production through renewable means and will continue to increase its renewable footprint.
In recent years, while battling monstrous wildfires, the Greek fire services have taken a beating and have lost the confidence of the Greek people. In 2021, homeowners were left to save their own homes while fire services were sent to protect areas of Athens and other populated areas of the country. Athens must do more to prepare its government for the consequences of a changing climate and not just focus on emissions.
There's a 50% chance that the 2˚C climate threshold will be crossed in the year 2049, according to the Metaculus prediction community.