The Facts
Deadly wildfires burning in at least nine countries across the Mediterranean have so far claimed the lives of dozens of people as thousands of firefighters continue to bring the infernos under control.
In Algeria, wildfires reportedly destroyed at least 15 provinces, killing at least 34 people — including ten soldiers — and displacing more than 1.5K residents.
The Spin
Narrative A
While wildfires are a regular feature of summer in Mediterranean Europe, the frequency and intensity of the blazes this year are exceptional thanks to human-induced climate change — which is making heatwaves more likely and more severe. As the earth heats up, year by year, the risk of fire will only increase. These apocalyptic scenes are just the beginning of scenes we will see throughout the region.
Narrative B
Such unprecedented wildfires highlight the need to rethink how landscapes can be managed to protect people and sustain ecosystems when the Mediterranean climate is rapidly changing. Rather than wasting time blaming climate change, developed nations, or policy failures, the focus must shift to better forest management and formulating customized preventative measures to shrink the wildfires' scope as much as possible.
