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UN weather agency says wildfires fuel air pollution

According to a World Meteorological Organization report released on Friday, wildfires that are likely to be more frequent due to climate change contributed significantly to air pollution in 2017.

World Health Organization reports that ambient air pollution is responsible for 4.5 million premature deaths each year. The WMO report on 2024 also highlighted pollution hotspots around places where there have been intense fires, such as the Amazon basin in Brazil, Canada, Siberia, and central Africa.

Wildfires are becoming more common and widespread around the world as global warming, primarily caused by fossil fuel emissions, alters weather patterns. They also add to the airborne particle pollution produced by transport, farming, and the burning of wood, coal, oil, and gas.

The WMO released a statement that said, "Wildfires contribute a lot to particle pollution. This problem will only get worse as the climate continues to warm. It poses a growing risk to infrastructure, ecosystems, and human health."

Ko Barrett, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, added that "climate change and air pollution cannot be dealt with in isolation." To protect our planet, communities and economies, they must be addressed together.

Although the WMO report is for 2024, it also stated that the WMO reported record wildfires this year in southern Europe had contributed to pollution on the continent.

Despite the negative signs, some positive signs were also observed, as particle pollution in Eastern China has decreased due to efforts made by authorities.

(source: Reuters)