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Simulations show Large Human-made Wildfires in Indonesia Impact on El Niño Weather
Photo: Firefighters battle a blaze near Pekanbaru, Riau in 2019. These wildfires, initiated by humans, quickly become out of control in the region, burning for months on end with devastating consequences. Source: Wahyudi/AFP/Getty Images [1]. Clara Bayley is Leverhulme Wildfires summer placement student. She has recently completed her undergraduate degree in Natural Sciences at the […]
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Carbon-releasing ‘zombie fires’ in peatlands could be dampened by new findings
New simulations have provided clues on reducing peat fires, which hide underground and are notoriously bad for human health and the environment – watch the video below and read more here.
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“World: we got this” PODCAST – Fire in the Tropics with Prof Martin Wooster
In the King’s College London podcast “World: we got this” (of the School of Global Affairs) we hear Professor Martin Wooster, Associate Director of Leverhulme Wildfires, talk about the importance of mapping wildfires, why not all wildfires are bad, and the unique threat posed by fires in the tropics.
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Determining the role of crop residue burning in post-monsoon air quality degradation across Northern India
Photo: Crop residue burning in the Punjab, India (2020). Different waste materials are burnt at different times of year. Unlike here in Feb, in Oct/Nov it is mainly the leftover straw from rice production. Millions of tonnes of material are burned annually. Credit: M. Wooster, King’s College London. Outdoor air pollution is the world’s greatest […]
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An interview with Prof. Jay Mistry
Prof. Jay Mistry is an Associate Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society, and Professor of Environmental Geography at Royal Holloway University of London. Her interests lie in environmental management and governance, participatory visual methods, Indigenous geographies, and fire management, particularly in tropical savannas. Our Centre Director, Prof. Colin Prentice, talked to Prof. […]
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Leverhulme Wildfires partners with charity Generating Genius, engaging students from African and Caribbean backgrounds in wildfire challenge
The Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society recently partnered with Generating Genius to run an outreach activity aimed at engaging A-level students in the topic of wildfires. Generating Genius is a UK-based charity which helps talented students of African and Caribbean heritage, and who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, to develop the skills and confidence […]
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Advances in the global observation of wildfires – using European satellites for real-time mapping the location and radiative strength of landscape burning from space
Image: Sentinel-3B SLSTR Night Time FRP – Data on active fires from the European SLSTR instrument now joins that from the US MODIS instrument in providing daily mapping of the strength if fires worldwide. The image shows the extent of fires detected in a single month. Satellite Earth observation (EO) of landscape burning is a […]
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Firewise Communities – helping neighbourhoods prepare and respond to wildfires
Photo: Fire at Upton Heath, Dorset, in 2011 adjacent to the Dorset Firewise community just prior to their evacuation. Photo Credit: Urban Heaths Partnership Last year, Firewise Communities launched in Dorset as part of a new UK initiative to provide community guidance and support for preparing and responding to wildfires. Dr Adriana Ford, our Centre […]
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New study using state-of-the-art fire-vegetation models estimates a 10% global reduction in tree covered area and vegetation carbon storage due to fire
Terrestrial ecosystems, particularly large forests, represent an important source of carbon uptake and storage, but their capacity to do so can be impacted by the occurrence of fire. Other factors, such as drought and herbivory also interact within ecosystems, making it difficult to determine to what extent fire impacts the carbon cycle, and therefore how […]
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With the threat of wildfires increasing, how is the UK’s response being coordinated?
Photo: Paul Hedley, Chief Fire Officer of Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service The UK is not a wildfire hotspot, when compared to places such as the Mediterranean or Australia, yet wildfires still pose a threat to life, health and property. This risk is only likely to grow with climate change, with wildfires increasing in frequency […]
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