Open Access Research Article
A STUDY ON WILDFIRE AND ITS HAZARDOUS EFFECTS ON OUR ENVIRONMENT BY: B. THIRUMURUGAN & M. NAREN KARTHIKK
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A
STUDY ON WILDFIRE AND ITS HAZARDOUS EFFECTS ON OUR ENVIRONMENT
AUTHORED
BY: B. THIRUMURUGAN,
Saveetha
School of Law,
Saveetha
Institute Of Medical And Technical Science (SIMATS)
Saveetha
University, Chennai-600 077
Phone
number: 941516119
CO-AUTHOR: M. NAREN KARTHIKK,
Saveetha
School of Law,
Saveetha
Institute Of Medical And Technical Science (SIMATS)
Saveetha
University, Chennai-600 077,
Phone
number: 9629078800
ABSTRACT:
A wildfire
is an unplanned fire that burns in a natural area such as a forest, grassland,
or prairie. Wildfires are often caused by human activity or a natural
phenomenon such as lightning, and they can happen at any time or anywhere. In
50% of wildfires recorded, it is not known how they started.The risk of
wildfires increases in extremely dry conditions, such as drought, and during
high winds. Wildfires can disrupt transportation, communications, power and gas
services, and water supply. They also lead to a deterioration of the air
quality, and loss of property, crops, resources, animals and people.Wildfires
and volcanic activities affected 6.2 million people between 1998-2017 with 2400
attributable deaths worldwide from suffocation, injuries, and burns, but the
size and frequency of wildfires are growing due to climate change. Hotter and
drier conditions are drying out ecosystems and increasing the risk of
wildfires. Wildfires also simultaneously impact weather and the climate by
releasing large quantities of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and fine
particulate matter into the atmosphere. Resulting air pollution can cause a
range of health issues, including respiratory and cardiovascular problems.
Another significant health effect of wildfires is on mental health and
psychosocial well-being.This study pulls together the project aims, discusses
the sources reviewed, presents a study on the environmental impact of fire,
describes the gaps in knowledge, and presents a plan forward.
KEYWORDS: Forest Fire, Biodiversity, Soil physicochemical properties,
Microbial population
INTRODUCTION:
Fire has
long been an integral part of the forest environment and has played an
important role in shaping the flora and fauna. A fire may be either beneficial
or detrimental to individuals of a particular species but the effect of a
single fire is not as environmentally significant as a change to the fire
regime .The social, economic and ecological cost of fires has demonstrated that
the resources many governments have to respond to forest fires are often
overwhelmed. A UN mission report on forest fires concluded that the blazes had
"an important international dimension in relation to severe, transboundary
air pollution, and the large-scale destruction of the unique aspects of the
existing biodiversity which represents a world heritage. In Indian context
according to a study, during the Sixth Five-Year Plan 1980-85)17852 fires were
reported, affecting an area of 5.7 million ha, or an annual average of some
1.14 million ha. Inventories conducted by the Forest Survey of India show that
on average 55% of forest area in Inia is affected by fire and 78 percent by
grazing. Subsequently, little regeneration occurs in 72 percent of forested
areas Ministry of Environment and Forest, 1997. The annual losses from forest
fires in India for the entire country have been moderately estimated at Rs 440
crores . This estimate does not include the loss suffered in the form of
biodiversity, nutrient and soil moisture and other intangible benefits. India
witnessed the most severe forest fires during the summer of 1995 in the hills
of Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh in north west Himalaya. An area of 677,700
ha was affected by fires. The quantifiable timber loss was around Rs. 17.50
crores .In the present study fire is studied as an agent of transformation
which affects biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem and thus altering
productive, protective function of a forest. This is highlighted in the
ecosystem fragmentation, alteration in ecosystem structure and function, biodiversity
status of an area. An attempt is made to study the short and long term effect
of fire on biodiversity status.The study area is characterized by hilly and
mountainous terrain supporting varied forest types and composition controlled
by altitude, land use/land cover types along with perpetual snow cover on the
mountain peaks. Variation in altitude is quite appreciable ranging from about
549m to 3750m. There are no perpetually snow-covered areas in this range. The
area under forest cover represents 56.14% out of its total geographical area.
Pine is the dominant forest type followed by oak, oak mixed and deciduous. Pine
is most susceptible to fire almost every year particularly near
habitation/agricultural patches.The main objective of the investigation is to
understand the role of fire in shaping ecosystem with emphasis on long and
short term impact of fire, main stress on biodiversity by fire and other biotic
or abiotic factors in combination with fire which cause biodiversity loss.
Considerable progress is attainable, but requires collaboration between
ecologists and forest managers.Section 33 in The Indian Forest Act, 1927-
Penalties for acts in contravention of notification under section 30 or of
rules under section 32.(1) Any person who commits any of the following
offenses, namely , d) sets fire to such forest, or kindles a fire without
taking all reasonable precautions to prevent its spreading to any tree reserved
under section 30, whether standing fallen or felled, or to say closed portion
of such forest; (d) sets fire to such forest, or kindles a fire without taking
all reasonable precautions to prevent its spreading to any tree reserved under
section 30, whether standing fallen or felled, or to say closed portion of such
forest punishes those who commit an arsenal or also negligence , The objectives
of this study are ,To evaluate the contribution of forest fires in environment
pollution ,To contemplate the causes behind wildfire occurrence,Gathering
public awareness on sec-33 of the Indian forest Act –1927,Analyzing ways to
prevent forest fires and To understand public knowledge on wildfire .The method
of research conducted in this survey is an descriptive method of research, and
the sampling has been collected through a convenient method of collection, and
the samples have been collected offline, the total amount of samples collected
was 200 responses. The independent variables present in this survey are Gender,
Age, Marital Status, and Occupation This shall also comprise Barcharts ,Pie
charts,Chi-Square and a test for the analysis and shall be enclosed with a
discussion of the same .India’s commitment to sustainable development is
clearly demonstrated through its innovative and progressive forest policies.
The Government’s policy of incentivising state governments to improve their
forest cover is evident in the 14th Finance Commission’s allocation of 7.5% of
total revenues on the basis of the state’s forest cover. This makes India the
implementer of the world’s largest Payment for Environmental Services
scheme.Over the last few years, the forest and tree cover in the country has
been steadily increasing, and at present, it stands at 24.16% of the total
geographic area. This affirms that sustainable forest management and long-term
thinking about natural assets are foundations for strong and sustained growth.
This is not to say that there are no challenges. Forest fires are a leading
cause of forest degradation in India, and the current pattern of widespread and
frequent fires could make it more difficult for India to meet its long-term
goal of bringing 33% of its geographical area under forest & tree cover and
to achieve its international commitment to create additional carbon sinks of
2.5 billion to 3 billion tons worth of CO2 equivalent by 2030.Recognizing the
challenge of forest fires in India, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change and the World Bank co-organized an international workshop on
Forest Fire Prevention and Management fromNovember 2017. The discussion
benefitted from the perspectives of government officials from India,
researchers, experts and representatives from Australia, Belarus, Canada,
Mexico, Nepal, the United States of America, and the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations. This workshop served as an opportunity for
knowledge exchange to help India devise a robust strategy to tackle the
challenge of forest fires. It was also an opportunity for Indian states to
share good practices with each other, and with countries from around the world,
and to learn from other countries.Forest fire can threaten lives and property.
Developing institutional mechanisms to improve coordination among various
players is a key ingredient for effective management. Forest fires will
continue to be managed primarily by state forest departments, but will also
need to be a part of disaster planning and the forest department needs to be
involved in this process. Because other agencies, such as local police, fire
departments and disaster management agencies, may be called in case of large
fires, it is important that they are trained in forest fire suppression
methods. Moreover, joint trainings should be organized to coordinate between
these departments.In India, local people who depend on forests for their
livelihood and to supplement their incomes are the ones who often set fires in
the forests. In many cases, they use fire as a tool to obtain the goods and
services on which they rely, for example, by burning ground cover to get a
fresh flush of grass for consumption by their livestock. Local community
members are also the ones who are called to help respond to fires when they
spread and burn out of control. While much is already being done at the
grassroots level by the forest departments to raise awareness about the impacts
of forest fires among local people, increasing the effectiveness of this
engagement and encouraging changes in the way people use fire will require
providing the right incentives, guided by the overall aim of enhancing the
services provided by healthy forests to communities. At the same time, it is
necessary to have comprehensive information on forest fires in India. Forest
Fire Information Systems have a role to play in prevention, detection,
suppression, and recovery, that is, across the spectrum of needed interventions.
AIM
: To gather public perception on the causes and methods to curb forest fires.
OBJECTIVES:
·
To evaluate the
contribution of forest fires in environmental pollution .
·
To contemplate
the causes behind wildfire occurrence.
·
Gathering
public awareness on sec-33 of the Indian forest Act – 1927
·
Analyzing ways
to prevent forest fires.
·
To understand
public knowledge on wildfire.
LITERATURE REVIEW:
David L. Peterson (2020), Changing wildfire, changing forests: the effects of climate
change on fire regimes and vegetation in the Pacific Northwest, USA ,Resource
managers will likely be unable to affect the total area burned by fire, as this
trend is driven strongly by climate. However, fuel treatments, when implemented
in a spatially strategic manner, can help to decrease fire intensity and
severity and improve forest resilience to fire, insects, and drought. Where
fuel treatments are less effective (wetter, high-elevation, and coastal
forests), managers may consider implementing fuel breaks around high-value
resources. When and where post-fire planting is an option, planting different
genetic stock than has been used in the past may increase seedling survival.
Planting seedlings on cooler, wetter microsites may also help to increase
survival. In the driest topographic locations, managers may need to consider
where they will try to forestall change and where they will allow conversions
to vegetation other than what is currently dominant.Anita K(2009),Forest fire in India: A review of the knowledge base,
Forest fire has profound impacts on atmospheric chemistry, biogeochemical
cycling and ecosystem structure. This feedback interaction may be hastened in
climate change scenarios. In view of this, the present day knowledge about the
forest fire condition in India has been reviewed. Operational monitoring,
geospatial modeling and climate change uncertainties are discussed. Indicators
for forest fire assessment and the role of geoinformatics tools in developing
those parameters are identified. The need for developing an adaptive management
strategy from the existing experience is emphasized, and specific points are
recommended sector-wise with short- and long-term visions.George Humberto Ambarim(2011), Forest fires research: beyond burnt
area statistics,During the last few years extreme fire occurrences in distant
parts of the globe such as Australia, Russia and United States of America (USA)
have increased global awareness and concern about the destructive power and
profound consequences of forest fires. The complexity and extent of the impacts
of forest fires, however, go far beyond the statistics provided by official
reports and media on, for example, total burnt area, number of destroyed
houses, or human casualties. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2007) has
identified forest fires, and particularly those occurring close to urban areas,
as one of the major threats to public health security in the 21st century,
stressing the need for politicians, experts and stakeholders to recognize the magnitude
and multidimensionality of the impacts of forest fires and the resulting risks.
The WHO has also warned that effective measures of risk and crisis management
are urgently needed. Intended to promote a more interdisciplinary approach to
the multiple and interrelated factors influencing and potentiating the
occurrence, severity and impacts of forest fires, the Centre for Environmental
and Marine Studies (CESAM) organized an International Workshop entitled “Forest
fires research - beyond burnt area statistics”. On May 26 2010 at the
University of Aveiro, it brought together a variety of experts, professionals
and students from Portugal, Spain and the USA. This booklet aims to share the
main contents of the presentations that were given by national and international
scientists during the workshop. It is organized according to four different
stages in relation to the occurrence of forest fires: before, during, after and
under future conditions. The different chapters address a wide range of
distinct but clearly interrelated research topics, namely: fire prevention;
fuel management; fire behavior and suppression; smoke emissions, air pollution
and human exposure; ecosystem functioning and biodiversity; hydrology and soil
erosion; ecological restoration; ecotoxicology; socio-economic factors; and
climate change impacts. Sas Biswas(2019),The
impact of forest fire on forest biodiversity in the Indian
Himalayas~UTTARANCHAL,Frequent fires in the Himalayan region of Uttaranchal in
the Indian Himalayas have been blamed for forest deterioration. It is true that
frequent fires on large scales cause air pollution, mar quality of stream
water, threaten biodiversity and spoil the aesthetics of an area, but fire
plays an important role in forest ecosystem dynamics. Moreover, it is not fire,
but other anthropogenic activities plus fire that are degrading the forest of
the Indian Himalayas. In the present study the role of fire in shaping forest
structure and composition is analyzed. If fire is managed wisely it can be used
as the cheapest means of forest management. For this purpose different fire
characteristics are assessed together with their interrelationship with forest
flora. Jianbang Gan(2016), Special
Issue "Climate Change and Forest Fire",Forest fire, though an integrative
part of forest ecosystems, has become an increasing threat to ecosystems,
properties and even human lives due to human influences and other forces.
Climate change is likely to alter forest fire regimes, engendering a better
understanding of its impact on forest fire activity and the development of
mitigation and adaptation strategies. This Special Issue focuses on broad
aspects of forest fire coupled with climate change, urbanization, and other
forcing that has broad regional and global implications. Manuscripts based on
field studies and/or modeling from around the world are welcome. This Special
Issue is intended to assemble a unique collection of the latest research and
review papers that address ecological, socioeconomic and/or policy aspects of forest
fire and its mitigation and adaptation options, and to advance our knowledge in
these arenas.Sarah Moura Batista dos
Santos(2014),Research on Wildfires and Remote Sensing in the Last Three
Decades: A Bibliometric AnalysisEvaluating the impact of wildland fires on
landscapes, a pursuit increasingly supported by remote sensing techniques,
requires an understanding of wildfire dynamics. This research highlights the
main insights from the literature related to “wildfires” and “remote sensing”
published between 1991 and 2020. The Scopus database was used as a source of
information regarding scientific production on these topics, after which
bibliometric tools were employed as a means through which to reveal patterns in
this network of journals, terms, countries, and authors. The results suggest
that these subject areas have undergone significant developments in the last
three decades, having been the focus of growing interest among the scientific
community. The most relevant contributions to the literature available have
been made by researchers working in the areas of earth and environmental
sciences 54% of the publications, primarily in the United States, China, Spain,
and Canada. Research trends in this field have undergone a significant
evolution in recent decades, explained by the strong relationship between the
technological evolution of detection methods and remote sensing data
acquisition.A.PARK Williams (2021),Impact of anthropogenic climate change on
wildfire across western US forests,Increased forest fire activity across the
western continental United States (US) in recent decades has likely been
enabled by a number of factors, including the legacy of fire suppression and
human settlement, natural climate variability, and human-caused climate change.
We use modeled climate projections to estimate the contribution of
anthropogenic climate change to observed increases in eight fuel aridity
metrics and forest fire area across the western United States. Anthropogenic
increases in temperature and vapor pressure deficit significantly enhanced fuel
aridity across western US forests over the past several decades and, during
2000–2015, contributed to 75% more forested area experiencing high fire-season
fuel aridity and an average of nine additional days per year of high fire
potential. Anthropogenic climate change accounted for ?55% of observed increases in fuel aridity from
1979 to 2015 across western US forests, highlighting both anthropogenic climate
change and natural climate variability as important contributors to increased
wildfire potential in recent decades. We estimate that human-caused climate
change contributed to an additional 4.2 million ha of forest fire area during
1984–2015, nearly doubling the forest fire areas expected in its absence.
Natural climate variability will continue to alternate between modulating and
compounding anthropogenic increases in fuel aridity, but anthropogenic climate
change has emerged as a driver of increased forest fire activity and should
continue to do so while fuels are not limiting.Yang Shu (2012),Influence of
Climatic Factors on Lightning Fires in the Primeval Forest Region of the
Northern Daxing’an Mountains, ChinaForest fires lead to permafrost degradation
and localized drought, and regional droughts increase the probability of forest
fires, leading to a positive feedback loop between climate change and fires.
However, the relationship between fire occurrence and climatic factors change
is unclear for boreal forests, which represent the largest land-based biome and
stock of carbon. Here, we analyzed the relationship between lightning fire
occurrence and meteorological and topographic factors based on the fire
frequency, burned area, and meteorological data from the primeval forest region
of the northern Da Xing'an Mountains in China. We found that lightning fires
occurred most frequently at an altitude of 600 to 700 m. From 1999 to 2019, the
frequency of lightning fires showed an overall upward trend, whereas the
affected area had no obvious change. It can be attributed to fire suppression
efforts and greatly increased investment in fire prevention in China. Snow
cover had a strong regulatory effect on the start and end dates of lightning
fires for the seasonal cycle. The frequency of lightning fires was positively correlated
with the average temperature, maximum temperature, and surface evaporation and
negatively correlated with precipitation and surface soil moisture (0–10 cm).
The result will be useful in the spatial assessment of fire risk, the planning
and coordination of regional efforts to identify areas at greatest risk, and in
designing long-term lightning fires management strategies.Christopher
J. Shultz (2017)
,Spatial, Temporal and Electrical Characteristics of Lightning in Reported
Lightning-Initiated Wildfire Events,Analysis was performed to determine whether
a lightning flash could be associated with every reported lightning-initiated
wildfire that grew to at least 4 km2. In total, 905 lightning-initiated
wildfires within the Continental United States (CONUS) between 2012 and 2015
were analyzed. Fixed and fire radius search methods showed that 81–88% of
wildfires had a corresponding lightning flash within a 14 day period prior to
the report date. The two methods showed that 52–60% of lightning-initiated wildfires
were reported on the same day as the closest lightning flash. The fire radius
method indicated the most promising spatial results, where the median distance
between the closest lightning and the wildfire start location was 0.83 km,
followed by a 75th percentile of 1.6 km and a 95th percentile of 5.86 km.
Ninety percent of the closest lightning flashes to wildfires were negative
polarity. Maximum flash densities were less than 0.41 flashes km2 for the 24 h
period at the fire start location. The majority of lightning-initiated holdover
events were observed in the Western CONUS, with a peak density in north-central
Idaho. A twelve day holdover event in New Mexico was also discussed, outlining
the opportunities and limitations of using lightning data to characterize
wildfires.Herbert Formayer (2021),Besides
human-caused fires, lightning is the major reason for forest fire ignition in
Austria. In order to analyse the causes of ignition and to characterise
lightning-induced forest fires, fire records were compared with the real
appearance of lightning events by using the Austrian Lightning Detection and
Information System for the period from 1993 to 2010. A probability was
estimated for each forest fire being caused by lightning by using a decision
tree and decision matrices based on flash characteristics (e.g. amplitude,
time, location). It could be shown that 15 % of documented forest fires were
lightning-caused. Nearly all lightning-caused fires were found during the
summer months, whereas almost 40 % of all fires occurring from June to August
were naturally caused. Most lightning-caused fires took place in the south and
east of Austria. Lightning fires were more frequent at higher altitudes and
primarily affected conifer forests. The median burned area was lower than that
for anthropogenic forest fires.Anna MG
Barros(2008)
,Contrasting the role of human- and lightning-caused wildfires on future fire
regimes on a Central Oregon landscape,Climate change is expected to increase
fire activity in many regions of the globe, but the relative role of human vs.
lightning-caused ignitions on future fire regimes is unclear. We developed
statistical models that account for the spatiotemporal ignition patterns by
cause in the eastern slopes of the Cascades in Oregon, USA. Projected changes
in energy release component from a suite of climate models were used with our
model to quantify changes in frequency and extent of human and lightning-caused
fires and record-breaking events based on sizes of individual fires between contemporary
(2006 ?2015) and mid-century conditions (2031–2060). No significant change was
projected for the number of human-caused fire ignitions, but we projected a 14%
reduction in lightning-caused ignitions under future conditions. Mean fire
sizes were 31% and 22% larger under future conditions (2031–2060) for human and
lightning-caused ignitions, respectively. All but one climate model projected
increased frequency of record-breaking events relative to the contemporary
period, with the largest future fires being about twice the size of those of
the contemporary period. This work contributes to understanding the role of
lightning- and human-caused fires on future fire regimes and can help inform
successful adaptation strategies in this landscape. DC.MARTINO(2012),Fire injuries, disasters, and costs
from cigarettes and cigarette lights: a global overviewSmoking is the leading
cause of residential or total fire death in all eight countries with available
statistics. Smoking is a leading cause of fires in many more countries.
Cigarettes cause numerous fire disasters. Cigarette lights cause an estimated
100,000 U.S. and one million global, child-playing fires per year. Cigarette
lights fire injuries likely rival U.S., and possibly global, cigarette fire
injury numbers. Smoking causes an estimated 30% of U. S. and 10% of global fire
death burdens. Smoking's estimated U.S. and global fire costs were $6.95
(sensitivity range $5.34-22.8) and $27.2 (sensitivity range $8.2-89.2) billion,
respectively, in 1998 U. S.dollars.Smoking likely causes large global fire
tolls. U.S. fire tolls have fallen when smoking decreased. Further reducing
smoking can substantially reduce fire and disaster tolls.D.HAMMOND (2020) ,Prevalence of behaviors related to
cigarette?caused fires: a survey of Ontario smokersCigarette smoking is a
leading cause of fires that cause injuries and deaths across the globe.1 For
example, in Canada between 1980 and 1999 there were 3929 smoking?material
fires, which resulted in 278 injuries and 67 deaths. This translates to 7.1
injuries and 1.7 deaths for every 100 smoking?material fires.2,3 Therefore, the
risks from smoking?material fires represent a significant public health
concern. In June 2004, New York State became the first jurisdiction in the
world to regulate cigarette ignition propensity, requiring reduced ignition
propensity (RIP) cigarettes in an effort to reduce the number of
smoking?material fires.4 On 1 October 2005, Canada became the first country in
the world to enact such regulations. Early results from New York State RIP law
evaluations show a reduction in cigarette?caused fires with little adverse
effect on consumer's smoking patterns or behaviors.The cigarette industry has
argued that RIP regulations may cause a false sense of security among smokers,
encouraging careless handling of cigarettes and perhaps unintentionally
encouraging fire?risk behaviors like smoking in bed. There are few empirical
data to support such a claim and data on the extent of such fire?risk behaviors
are limited; nevertheless, regulators have cited these concerns as a potential
barrier to ignition?propensity legislation.In 2006, Health Canada released
results from their 2005 Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey which, for the
first time, recorded fire?risk data. They reported that 12% of current smokers
had smoked in bed in the past week, and 10% of smokers had fallen asleep with a
lit cigarette at least once, 24% of these in the past year. Jessica E. Halofsky (2012) , Wildfires
in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and western Montana, USA)
have been immense in recent years, capturing the attention of resource
managers, fire scientists, and the general public. This paper synthesizes
understanding of the potential effects of changing climate and fire regimes on
Pacific Northwest forests, including effects on disturbance and stress
interactions, forest structure and composition, and post-fire ecological
processes. We frame this information in a risk assessment context, and conclude
with management implications and future research needs.Changing wildfire,
changing forests: the effects of climate change on fire regimes and vegetation
in the Pacific Northwest, USA, Resource managers will likely be unable to
affect the total area burned by fire, as this trend is driven strongly by
climate.However, fuel treatments, when implemented in a spatially strategic
manner, can help to decrease fire intensity and severity and improve forest
resilience to fire, insects, and drought. Where fuel treatments are less
effective (wetter, high-elevation, and coastal forests), managers may consider
implementing fuel breaks around high-value resources. When and where post-fire
planting is an option, planting different genetic stock than has been used in
the past may increase seedling survival. Planting seedlings on cooler, wetter
microsites may also help to increase survival. Juarez Orozco (2021), Causes and Effects of Forest Fires in
Tropical Rainforests: A Bibliometric ApproachDespite their humid environment,
tropical rainforests are threatened by fires that negatively impact their
ecological and economic value. However, fires in these ecosystems have been
investigated to a far lesser degree compared with temperate or seasonally dry
forests. We performed a bibliometric analysis to identify knowledge gaps in
rainforest fire studies from 1981 to 2015. Through an analysis of the temporal
and spatial research trends, we aimed to evaluate the main drivers that
motivate investigations in this field of study. In total, we recorded 366
publications in indexed journals. Approximately 60% of these studies were
conducted in four countries. The number of publications tended to increase
after El Niño years. A word co-occurrence network revealed a strong
relationship between land use change and fires and the role of fire in
agricultural and ecosystem traits. We conclude that socioeconomic drivers,
deforestation, and global climate change should be considered to gain a better
understanding of the occurrence of forest fires. Further studies should include
the cause, intensity, and recurrence of fires, since they determine the effects
of fire on the soil and biota (fire severity). The spatiotemporal patterns of
forest fires require further study to develop strategies for good agricultural
production and to predict successional routes after fires. These identified
gaps in the research on forest fires could guide decision-making toward the
prevention of further fire expansion or at least to reduce its negative effects
in tropical rain forests.Amit Parashar
(2022) , The impact of forest fire on forest biodiversity in the Indian
Himalayas ,Frequent fires in the Himalayan region of Uttaranchal in the Indian
Himalayas have been blamed for forest deterioration. It is true that frequent
fires on large scales cause air pollution, mar quality of stream water,
threaten biodiversity and spoil the aesthetics of an area, but fire plays an
important role in forest ecosystem dynamics. Moreover, it is not fire, but
other anthropogenic activities plus fire that are degrading the forest of the
Indian Himalayas. In the present study the role of fire in shaping forest
structure and composition is analysed. If fire is managed wisely it can be used
as the cheapest means of forest management. For this purpose different fire
characteristics are assessed together with their interrelationship with forest
flora. Stefan H. Dooer (2017)
,Global trends in wildfire and its impacts: perceptions versus realities in a
changing world, Wildfire has been an important process affecting the Earth's
surface and atmosphere for over 350 million years and human societies have
coexisted with fire since their emergence. Yet many consider wildfire as an
accelerating problem, with widely held perceptions both in the media and
scientific papers of increasing fire occurrence, severity and resulting losses.
However, important exceptions aside, the quantitative evidence available does
not support these perceived overall trends. Instead, global area burned appears
to have overall declined over past decades, and there is increasing evidence
that there is less fire in the global landscape today than centuries ago.
Regarding fire severity, limited data are available. For the western USA, they
indicate little change overall, and also that area burned at high severity has overall
declined compared to pre-European settlement. Direct fatalities from fire and
economic losses also show no clear trends over the past three decades. Trends
in indirect impacts, such as health problems from smoke or disruption to social
functioning, remain insufficiently quantified to be examined. Global
predictions for increased fire under a warming climate highlight the already
urgent need for a more sustainable coexistence with fire. The data evaluation
presented here aims to contribute to this by reducing misconceptions and
facilitating a more informed understanding of the realities of global fire.Sarah Moura Batista dos Santos (2020)
,Research on Wildfires and Remote Sensing in the Last Three Decades: A
Bibliometric Analysis,Evaluating the impact of wildland fires on landscapes, a
pursuit increasingly supported by remote sensing techniques, requires an
understanding of wildfire dynamics. This research highlights the main insights
from the literature related to “wildfires” and “remote sensing” published
between 1991 and 2020. The Scopus database was used as a source of information
regarding scientific production on these topics, after which bibliometric tools
were employed as a means through which to reveal patterns in this network of
journals, terms, countries, and authors. The results suggest that these subject
areas have undergone significant developments in the last three decades, having
been the focus of growing interest among the scientific community. The most
relevant contributions to the literature available have been made by
researchers working in the areas of earth and environmental sciences (54% of
the publications), primarily in the United States, China, Spain, and Canada.
Research trends in this field have undergone a significant evolution in recent
decades, explained by the strong relationship between the technological
evolution of detection methods and remote sensing data acquisition.Anita K. (2013) ,Forest fire in India:
A review of the knowledge base ,Forest fire has profound impacts on atmospheric
chemistry, biogeochemical cycling and ecosystem structure. This feedback
interaction may be hastened in climate change scenarios. In view of this, the
present day knowledge about the forest fire condition in India has been
reviewed. Operational monitoring, geospatial modeling and climate change
uncertainties are discussed. Indicators for forest fire assessment and the role
of geoinformatics tools in developing those parameters are identified. The need
for developing an adaptive management strategy from the existing experience is
emphasized, and specific points are recommended sector-wise with short- and
long-term visions.Miranda AI. (2018)
, Forest fires research: beyond burnt area statistics ,During the last few
years extreme fire occurrences in distant parts of the globe such as Australia,
Russia and United States of America (USA) have increased global awareness and
concern about the destructive power and profound consequences of forest fires.
The complexity and extent of the impacts of forest fires, however, go far
beyond the statistics provided by official reports and media on, for example,
total burnt area, number of destroyed houses, or human casualties. The World
Health Organization (WHO, 2007) has identified forest fires, and particularly those
occurring close to urban areas, as one of the major threats to public health
security in the 21st century, stressing the need for politicians, experts and
stakeholders to recognize the magnitude and multidimensionality of the impacts
of forest fires and the resulting risks. The WHO has also warned that effective
measures of risk and crisis management are urgently needed. Intended to promote
a more interdisciplinary approach to the multiple and interrelated factors
influencing and potentiating the occurrence, severity and impacts of forest
fires, the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM) organized an
International Workshop entitled “Forest fires research - beyond burnt area
statistics”. On May 26 2010 at the University of Aveiro, it brought together a
variety of experts, professionals and students from Portugal, Spain and the
USA. This booklet aims to share the main contents of the presentations that
were given by national and international scientists during the workshop. It is
organized according to four different stages in relation to the occurrence of
forest fires: before, during, after and under future conditions. The different
chapters address a wide range of distinct but clearly interrelated research
topics, namely: fire prevention; fuel management; fire behaviour and
suppression; smoke emissions, air pollution and human exposure; ecosystem
functioning and biodiversity; hydrology and soil erosion; ecological
restoration; ecotoxicology; socio- economic factors; and climate change impacts.
METHODOLOGY:
The study
was based on a descriptive method of research.The data was collected from
respondents , students, friends and family all over Chennai by adopting the
convenience sampling method and the sample size was 206.The tool used for the study
was a structured questionnaire google forms .The independent variables included
in this study was age,educational qualifications and occupations .The dependant
variable considered for this study was the issue of forest fires and its
hazardous effects all over the environment SPSS software was used for analysing
the collected data.
ANALYSIS :
FIGURE 1:
LEGEND
: This represents the percentage analysis of the age of our sample respondents.
FIGURE 2 :
LEGEND :
This represents a pie chart percentage analysis of the educational
qualification of the sample respondents .
FIGURE 3:
LEGEND :
This represents a percentage analysis of the gender distribution of our sample
respondents .
FIGURE 4:
LEGEND:
Figure 4 represents a percentage analysis of the marital status of our sample
respondents .
FIGURE 5:
LEGEND :
Figure 5 represents a pie chart percentage analysis of the residence of the
sample respondents.
FIGURE 6 :
LEGEND:
This is a clustered bar chart drawing an analysis between what according to the
age of sample respondents does wildfire mean .
FIGURE 7 :
LEGEND :
This is a cluster bar analysing how much forest fires contribute to pollution
in contrast with the gender of my sample respondents .
FIGURE 8 :
LEGEND :This
is a clustered bar chart analysing what are the major causes behind forest
fires , with the marital status of my sample respondents .
FIGURE 9 :
LEGEND :
This is a clustered bar chart contemplating what are the major causes behind
forest with the educational qualification of sample respondents .
FIGURE 10 :
LEGEND :This
is an clustered bar chart analysis of what are the major causes behind forest
fires with the residence of my sample respondents .
FIGURE 11 :
LEGEND:This
is a clustered bar analyzing whether people are aware of the Indian forest act
2017, with the marital status of my sample respondents .
FIGURE 12:
LEGEND :
This is an clustered bar chart analysis of what are the major causes behind
forest fires with the gender of my sample respondents .
FIGURE 13:
LEGEND:.
This is a clustered bar analysis of will prohibiting inflammable substances in
forests help prevent wildfires ,with the residence of my sample respondents .
FIGURE 14 :
LEGEND:
This is a clustered bar chart implementing sec -33 of the Indian forest act -1927
with the residence of my sample respondents .
FIGURE 15 :
LEGEND : This is a clustered bar chart by the educational
qualification of my sample respondents on how never leaving a campfire
unattended will prevent wildfires.
FIGURE 16 :
LEGEND :This
is a clustered bar chart by the educational qualification of my sample
respondents on how carefully extinguishing smoking materials will prevent
wildfires.
FIGURE 17 :
LEGEND : This Chi Square 1 cell has elected count less than 5 . The
minimum expected count is 4.93
FIGURE 18 
LEGEND :This
Chi Square 1 cell has elected count less than 5 . The minimum expected count is
4.93
FIGURE 19 :
LEGEND :
In this CHI SQUARE 0 cells have expected count less than 5 . The minimum
expected count is 10.99
FIGURE 20 :
LEGEND :In
this CHI SQUARE 0 cells have expected count less than 5 . The minimum expected
count is 10.07
FIGURE 21 :
LEGEND: In
this CHI SQUARE 0 cells have expected count less than 5 . The minimum expected
count is 10.07
FIGURE 22 :
LEGEND: In
this CHI SQUARE we have expected to count less than 5 . The minimum expected
count is 22.44 .
FIGURE 23:
LEGEND: In this CHI SQUARE 1 cell has
expected count less than 5 . The minimum expected count is 4.93.
RESULTS:
Figure 1
This represents the percentage analysis of the age of our sample respondents. Figure 2 This represents a pie chart
percentage analysis of the educational qualification of the sample respondents
. Figure 3 This represents a
percentage analysis of the gender distribution of our sample respondents . Figure 4 represents a percentage
analysis of the marital status of our sample respondents . Figure 5 represents a pie chart percentage analysis of the
residence of the sample respondents. Figure
6 This is a clustered bar chart drawing an analysis between what according
to the age of sample respondents does wildfire mean . Figure 7 This is a cluster bar analysing how much forest fires
contribute to pollution in contrast with the gender of my sample respondents . Figure 8 This is a clustered bar chart
analysing what are the major causes behind forest fires , with the marital
status of my sample respondents . Figure
9 This is a clustered bar chart contemplating what are the major causes
behind forest with the educational qualification of sample respondents .Figure 10 This is an clustered bar
chart analysis of what are the major causes behind forest fires with the
residence of my sample respondents .Figure
11 This is an clustered bar chart analysis of what are the major causes
behind forest fires with the age of my sample respondents . Figure 12 This is a clustered bar
analyzing whether people are aware of the Indian forest act 2017, with the
marital status of my sample respondents . Figure
13 This is an clustered bar chart analysis of what are the major causes
behind forest fires with the gender of my sample respondents .Figure 14 This is a clustered bar
analysis of will prohibiting inflammable substances in forests help prevent
wildfires ,with the residence of my sample respondents . Figure 15 This is a clustered bar chart implementing sec -33 of the
Indian forest act -1927 with the residence of my sample respondents .Figure 16 This is a clustered bar chart
by the educational qualification of my sample respondents on how never leaving
a campfire unattended will prevent wildfires. Figure 17 This Chi Square 1 cell has elected count less than 5 .
The minimum expected count is 4.93 . Figure
18 This Chi Square 1 cell has elected count less than 5 . The minimum
expected count is 4.93 . Figure 19
In this CHI SQUARE 0 cells have expected count less than 5 . The minimum
expected count is 10.99 .Figure 20
In this CHI SQUARE 0 cells have expected count less than 5 . The minimum
expected count is 10.07. Figure 21
In this CHI SQUARE 0 cells have expected count less than 5 . The minimum
expected count is 10.07 . Figure 22 In
this CHI SQUARE we have expected to count less than 5.The minimum expected
count is 22.44 .Figure 23 In this
CHI SQUARE 1 cell has expected count less than 5.The minimum expected count is
4.93.
DISCUSSION:
Figure 1
This represents the percentage analysis of the age of our sample respondents. Figure 2 This represents a pie chart
percentage analysis of the educational qualification of the sample respondents
. Figure 3 This represents a
percentage analysis of the gender distribution of our sample respondents . Figure 4 represents a percentage
analysis of the marital status of our sample respondents . Figure 5 represents a pie chart percentage analysis of the
residence of the sample respondents. Figure
6 This is a clustered bar chart drawing an analysis between what according
to the age of sample respondents does wildfire mean . Figure 7 This is a cluster bar analysing how much forest fires
contribute to pollution in contrast with the gender of my sample respondents
majority respondents agree that forest fires majorly contribute to pollution. Figure 8 This is a clustered bar chart
analysing what are the major causes behind forest fires , with the marital
status of my sample respondents , where majority respondents believe that
Lightning and unattended campfires are the main causes. Figure 9 This is a clustered bar chart contemplating what are the
major causes behind forest with the educational qualification of sample
respondents .Figure 10 This is an
clustered bar chart analysis of what are the major causes behind forest fires
with the residence of my sample respondents .Figure 11 This is an clustered bar chart analysis of what are the
major causes behind forest fires with the age of my sample respondents . Figure 12 This is a clustered bar
analyzing whether people are aware of the Indian forest act 2017, with the
marital status of my sample respondents , Amorite respondents do not seem to be
aware of the Indian forest Act . Figure
13 This is an clustered bar chart analysis of what are the major causes
behind forest fires with the gender of my sample respondents .Figure 14 This is a clustered bar
analysis of will prohibiting inflammable substances in forests help prevent
wildfires ,with the residence of my sample respondents , majority respondents
believe it will help prevent the same . Figure
15 This is a clustered bar chart implementing sec -33 of the Indian forest
act -1927 with the residence of my sample respondents, majority respondents
agree to its implementation .Figure 16
This is a clustered bar chart by the educational qualification of my sample
respondents on how never leaving a campfire unattended will prevent wildfires. Figure 17 This Chi Square 1 cell has
elected count less than 5 . The minimum expected count is 4.93, hence leaving
us at a value less than 0.05 due to which we will accept the null hypothesis
and reject the alternative hypothesis. Figure 18 This ChiSquare 1 cell has
elected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 4.93. Figure 19 In this CHI SQUARE 0 cells
have expected count less than 5 . The minimum expected count is 10.99 .Figure 20 In this CHI SQUARE 0 cells
have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 10.07. Figure 21 In this CHI SQUARE 0 cells
have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 10.07. Figure 22 In this CHI SQUARE we have
expected to count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 22.44 .Figure 23 In this CHI SQUARE 1 cell has
expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 4.93.
LIMITATIONS:
The
limitations of my study are the limited jurisdiction of the collection of
responses from the area of poonamallee bus depot. My Descriptive study couldn’t
be used to establish cause and effect relationships. All respondents were not
truthful when answering survey questions or may give socially desirable
responses. The choice and wording of my questions on my questionnaire
influenced the descriptive findings. Depending on the type and size of sample,
the findings may not be generalizable or produce an accurate description of the
population of interest .
SUGGESTION :
Forests being the literal source of
fuel , are surrounded with forest fuels and are hence prone to flammable
substances catching up on fire , This is why forest fires can’t go extinct or
put to a halt forever , it can only be tamed and moderated by improving the
forest technology and prediction analysis . I’d suggest the government bring up
harsher penal provisions to create awareness among the public that disturbing
the environment's balance is as serious as committing a criminal offence .
CONCLUSION:
Forest fire
continues to destroy large areas of forests in the Himalayas and globally,
degrading ecosystem services, causing biodiversity loss, and jeopardizing
livelihood sources. Forest fires also contribute to global warming mostly by
releasing GHGS from burning biomass and associated deterioration of soils.
These impacts are expected to worsen from increasing fire incidences partly
exacerbated by climate change. Despite these challenges, forest fire management
in the region is limited by lack of proper policy, capacity building, and
mechanized tools. This is further complicated by very rugged terrain and
hostile climatic conditions including strong winds that make fire management
very difficult. This situation calls for a dynamic approach to fire management
including a comprehensive policy guideline in each country. Such a guideline
must be comprehensive enough to include diverse fire management interventions
by a diverse group of people including the foresters, the armed forces, and the
communities. These circumstances calls for an integrated approach to forest
fire management and climate resilient adaptation pathways fits the bill.
Climate resilient adaptation pathways can transform current strategies and
policies through a fundamental change in a system, its nature, and/or location
that can occur in human institutions, technological and biological systems.
However, such changes must be deeply rooted into empirical knowledge generated
from robust scientific knowledge about forest fire dynamics, cause and effects
under climate change scenarios. This review shows that such research is scarce
in the fragile Himalayan region. The review also highlights the need to
understand forest fire, response mechanism, and project risks under global
environmental changes in the region to carve out climate resilient adaptation
pathways that will guide policy and strategies to guarantee some level of
assurance to achieve sustainable development goals.Based on the findings, this
review recommends scientific studies to Evaluate the effectiveness of the
current system and capacity of forest fire management at country and landscape
levels. Develop and construct climate resilient adaptive indicators of forest
fires including other climatic disasters such as drought, flooding, landslide,
and pest and diseases. In addition, the review also points to the need for a
more coordinated approach at country and community level to create awareness
about forest fires and their ecological and social impacts.
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Article Information
A STUDY ON WILDFIRE AND ITS HAZARDOUS EFFECTS ON OUR ENVIRONMENT BY: B. THIRUMURUGAN & M. NAREN KARTHIKK
Authors: B. THIRUMURUGAN, M. NAREN KARTHIKK
- Journal IJLRA
- ISSN 2582-6433
- Published 2023/10/04
- Issue 7
About Journal
International Journal for Legal Research and Analysis
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- ISSN 2582-6433
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