How climate change is making Cyprus wildfires harder to control

Local climate crisisfireTop News How climate change is making Cyprus wildfires harder to control Limassol Wildfire Damages Three Natura 2000 Protected Areas Relevant News How climate change is making Cyprus wildfires harder to control 30 July 2026 Cyprus: an Israeli plot of land, an Israeli colony? 30 July 2026 An island of cooperation 30 July 2026 Daniel Zambartas 30 July 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Climate change is creating conditions in which small fires in Cyprus can develop into dangerous disasters that are much harder to control, according to Natasa Ioannou, an environmental campaigner and project manager at Friends of the Earth Cyprus. Ioannou has years of direct experience in post-fire recovery, having helped coordinate volunteer erosion-control work and science-based restoration following the devastating fires in Solea in 2016 and Limassol in 2025. She told en.philenews that climate change is altering the way wildfires spread across the island and outlined the measures she believes Cyprus must take. How climate change is increasing the risk “Climate change does not necessarily start the fire, but create the conditions that allow a small ignition to become a large and uncontrollable disaster,” Ioannou explains. “In Cyprus, the great majority of fires are still linked to human activity, whether through negligence, infrastructure failures or deliberate action.” Official figures confirm that human actions remain the primary spark: approximately 5,000 fires break out across Cyprus every year, with over 90% caused by human activity. At the same time, scientific research highlights how rapidly climate conditions are escalating the hazard. A report presented at the Cyprus Institute by the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) warned that Europe is entering an era of “mega-fires,” predicting that an area equivalent to the entire landmass of Cyprus could be lost to wildfires annually. Scientists at the institute noted that Mediterranean regions are increasingly vulnerable to fewer but far more extreme infernos driven by prolonged droughts and biomass accumulation. “We now experience longer periods of extreme heat, prolonged drought, lower soil and vegetation moisture and, increasingly, nights that do not cool sufficiently. The landscape becomes extremely dry and acts as fuel. “When strong or rapidly changing winds are added, a fire can move very quickly across forests, agricultural land and villages, throwing burning material ahead of the main front and creating new fires.” Ioannou says Cyprus is no longer preparing only for the types of fires experienced 20 or 30 years ago. The island must now prepare for extreme wildfires that can exceed the capacity of conventional firefighting, particularly when they threaten communities, power lines, farms and homes. Long-term threats Ioannou argues that the danger does not end when the flames are extinguished. Wildfires can also create a long-term crisis affecting water supplies, soil stability and wildlife. She says: “Once vegetation is destroyed, the soil loses the roots and natural cover that hold it in place and help it absorb rainfall. Ash and severely burned soil can also repel water. When the first heavy rain arrives, water runs rapidly over the surface, carrying soil, ash, debris and pollutants downhill. This increases the risk of flash flooding, erosion and contamination of rivers, groundwater and reservoirs. “There is also a prolonged biodiversity crisis. Animals that survive the flames may later die because they have lost food, shelter, nesting areas and access to water. “Finally, there is the climate feedback loop. Fires release carbon stored in vegetation and soils. At the same time, the loss of a mature forest removes a system that would have continued absorbing carbon, retaining water and cooling the landscape. More emissions and fewer healthy forests contribute to warmer and drier conditions, which then increase future fire risk. This is why protecting and restoring forests is both climate adaptation and climate mitigation.” What needs to change Ioannou believes the authorities’ current approach is too reactive and that greater emphasis must be placed on prevention. “We tend to measure preparedness by the number of aircraft and fire engines available, while less attention is given to the quieter, year round work that prevents an ignition from becoming a catastrophe,” she says. This focus on suppression is reflected in recent state investments. Cyprus enters the 2026 fire season with its largest-ever aerial firefighting fleet, comprising 14 aircraft, and has recently completed the European Union’s new Regional Firefighting Centre (CRAFS) in Paphos. Additionally, the government recently approved a €28.5 million investment in a high-tech surveillance network featuring thermal cameras, tethered observation balloons, and drones. “However, under no conditions we should spend less on firefighting, Ioannou adds”. “Prevention means managing vegetation and accumulated fuel, maintaining strategic protection zones around communities, supporting responsible grazing and agricultural activity, clearing illegal dumping sites, inspecting electricity infrastructure, maintaining access roads, mapping high risk areas and preparing realistic evacuation plans with local residents. It also requires properly resourced local authorities and rural communities.” Five priorities for the future Although Ioannou is not optimistic about how quickly the government will act, she remains hopeful that pressure from local communities and scientists will lead to long-overdue changes. She identifies five priorities for tackling the wildfire crisis. First, Cyprus needs a “binding, properly funded national wildfire resilience strategy” that places prevention, firefighting and recovery on an equal footing. Emergency agencies should also test their coordination “before an emergency, not improvised during a megafire.” Second, every high-risk village should have a locally designed emergency plan that prioritises vulnerable residents. Ioannou emphasises that “climate justice means recognising that not everybody has the same ability to evacuate, insure a home or rebuild a livelihood.” Third, the state should invest permanently in rural land management, including the year-round removal of dangerous vegetation and accumulated fuel around homes and infrastructure. Fourth, post-fire recovery should be guided by scientific evidence rather than economic interests. Ioannou warns that “burned land must not become an opportunity for inappropriate development.” Finally, she says Cyprus must address the underlying causes of climate change alongside adapting to the growing wildfire threat. “We cannot discuss fire prevention without discussing the cause of climate change. Cyprus must reduce fossil fuel use, accelerate clean energy, improve energy efficiency and protect its natural carbon sinks. Adaptation is essential, but there is a limit to how much we can adapt if temperatures continue rising.” Read more: Mega-fires the new reality in Cyprus, minister tells parliament Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Cyprus: an Israeli plot of land, an Israeli colony? An island of cooperation Defence disputes car lock findings in Xylofagou boys’ deaths case The effort on the Cyprus problem, and its prospects, kept alive Nostalgia is not a good strategy SBA Police opens new marine unit station at Episkopi Bay Mediterranean at high risk as heatwaves boost disease spread across Europe, ECDC says Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.