Heatwave in Spain: Catalonia fighting forest fires

An AS-350 "Ecureuil" firefighting helicopter takes part in fire containment operations in Artesa de Segre, Catalonia, June 16, 2022. AFP - PAU BARRENA

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Spain has been facing numerous fires throughout its territory for several days.

Catalonia, particularly affected since last Wednesday June 15, says it is very worried, in particular by the simultaneity of the fires which are declared every day in the region.

Advertising

Read more

With our correspondent in Barcelona

,

Multiple fires marked this Saturday, June 18, the last day of an extreme and unusually early heat wave for Spain.

Thirty fires were still active in Catalonia alone.

For the fifth day in a row, these Catalan firefighters continued to fight forest fires including new and old ones that had not stabilized since the beginning of the week - having burned more than 5,000 hectares in total - and which even required the help from the Spanish army.

Drought worsens the situation

But the simultaneity of these fires complicates the work of the emergency services, especially since other large fires have broken out in the rest of the country, in particular in a mountain range in Castile and Leon, near the border with Portugal, which has already ravaged nearly 25,000 hectares of vegetation.

Several of these fires would have been caused by the flashes of the electrical storms, numerous this week.

The extreme drought affecting the country has aggravated the situation.

And even if the temperatures should start to drop this Sunday, the authorities fear that it will not be enough to put an end to these fires. 

► To read also: 

The economic cost of the heat wave

According to the latest IPCC report, heat waves are responsible for 91% of deaths from natural disasters over the past 40 years, but what is less known is that each heat wave also represents an economic cost.

When we add pressure on the health system, additional medical costs, mortality, and impact on agriculture, the European Environment Agency estimates that between 1980 and 2000 heat waves cost between 27 and 70 billion euros in 32 European countries.

The first sector affected is the health sector.

Take the case of France, excess mortality, hospitalizations, and the additional cost of medicines linked to heat waves, from 2015 to 2020, cost between 22 and 37 billion euros, according to a report published last year by public health. France.

Agriculture and livestock are also affected.

With each heat wave, milk production drops, as do cereal yields.

In 2019 the heat wave had caused a drop of 9% on corn and 10% on wheat, compared to the five-year average.

Finally, extreme temperatures are responsible for a loss of productivity.

The four heat waves between 2003 and 2018 in Europe cost the European GDP 0.3 to 0.5.

The International Labor Organization recalls that from 24 degrees, a worker sees his working capacities reduced, and beyond 33 degrees he loses 50% of his potential.

Also according to the ILO, in 2030, heat could reduce the total hours worked worldwide by 2.3%, i.e. the loss of 80 million full-time jobs, at a total cost of 2.4 trillion dollars. , compared to 280 billion dollars in 1995.

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

• Spain

• Climate change

• Natural disasters