First Corona, then the heat, now the fire.
More than 120 fires raged in Turkey, many in holiday regions in the southwestern Turkish provinces of Antalya, Mugla and Aydin.
The Federal Foreign Office writes that residential areas and hotels are also affected by the fires.
At least eight people died and numerous places were evacuated, including the resort of Turunc in Marmaris.
Turkish media reported that tourists were being taken to safety by boat.
Andreas Mihm
Business correspondent for Austria, East-Central, Southeastern Europe and Turkey based in Vienna.
Follow I follow
Johannes Pennekamp
Responsible editor for economic reporting, responsible for “Die Lounge”.
Follow I follow
Tobias Piller
Economic correspondent for Italy and Greece based in Rome.
Follow I follow
Turkish tourism, which in normal times accounts for one eighth of the country's economic output, is once again hit hard.
In the first half of the year, according to the Turkish Ministry of Tourism, the number of entries rose to 5.7 million compared to the previous year.
which was 27 percent more than in 2020.
The bottom line was that there were still 12.3 million fewer guests than in the first half of 2019 - before the outbreak of the pandemic.
And now the flames worsen the prospects.
In southern Italy and Greece, where extreme heat and wind fuel the fires. tourism seems to have been hit a little less hard. But even there, dramatic scenes occurred in individual locations. In Italy, the flames reached various beaches and some suburbs. On Italy's holiday island Sardinia, more than 1000 residents and tourists had to be brought to safety in the vicinity of the city of Oristano. A fire reached a lido in the Sicilian city of Catania, which is why 150 beach visitors had to be brought to safety across the sea.
The most important tourist destinations in Italy are not yet affected by the fires.
A threatening situation arose for the "valley of butterflies" on the Greek island of Rhodes.
This reservoir, known internationally as a nature reserve, could be saved, but the power went out for one evening on large parts of the island because the big fire broke out near the power station.
Fires cause ever greater damage
After the flood in Germany, which caused billions in damage, especially in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, the fires in the south are the second catastrophe in Europe within a very short time, which experts also attribute to global warming.
Fires, which are favored by heat and drought, are increasing all over the world, according to a recently published report by reinsurer Swiss Re.
“In the past four years, fires have caused 23 percent of global damage from secondary hazards.
Before 2016, the proportion averaged 3 percent, ”write the authors, who count as secondary hazards storms and floods, for example.
According to calculations by the insurance company, this damage grows at a rate of 5 to 10 percent per year - and thus significantly faster than inflation.
Last year, according to Swiss Re, the cost of disasters worldwide totaled $ 190 billion. In a scenario in which the global temperature rise continues unchecked by 3.2 degrees Celsius until 2050, this would cost the countries of the world 14 percent of economic output, warns Swiss Re. Even if it were possible to limit the increase to 2 degrees, the minus 4 percent would be.
Compared to Asia and North America, Europe has so far got off relatively lightly, but Andreas Weigel, disaster analyst at Swiss Re, says: “Over the last 20 years we have observed a trend in Europe of increasing damage from thunderstorms with hail.” The insured loss due to forest fires has so far been comparatively small.
The experts have not yet made any forecasts for the current fires or the current year, but new highs would not be a surprise.
Arson is involved
However, humans are not only contributing to the more frequent and catastrophic fires through climate change.
While in Turkey, according to expert assessments, natural causes are mainly responsible, in Sardinia there is speculation about the question of whether the vegetation in poorer areas of the island will be burned down in order to install solar cells there later.
For the Italian environmental organization Legambiente, their forest fire specialist Enrico Fontana confirms that “98 percent of the fires are intentionally started or are caused by negligence”.
After a record in 2007, with 2,400 square kilometers of burned areas and 2,000 criminal offenses to set off fires, the situation in Italy has temporarily improved.
Since 2019 there have been increasing numbers again.
There are many economic motives for starting a fire. In the past, the top priority was the desire to build buildings, holiday resorts or hotels in place of burned down forests. Since 2000, however, in Italy it has been necessary to register precisely where there has been fire, because there the development plan may not be changed for fifteen years, no construction for ten years and no afforestation for five years. Sometimes, however, the municipalities “forget” to enter the fire areas in the cadastre. Extortionate motives are spoken of when members of organized crime set fire because no protection money has been paid or no pastures have been made available, or when the authorities have not given the “right person” orders for planting or pruning.
In Sicily, fires are traditionally seen as a means of job creation. On this island with 5 million inhabitants and high unemployment there is little forest, but 19,000 forest workers in the service of the region. Many of these are employed on a temporary basis. In order to get longer periods of employment and, if possible, pension contributions for the entire year, apparently some have motives to start a fire. Since the beginning of the year, 80 square kilometers of area have been burned in Sicily.