The messages from our Vocational School Researcher, Fire Ecologist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Okan ÜRKER, who contributed to the European Correspondent on behalf of Çankırı Karatekin University, regarding the forest fires that affected our country and Eastern Europe last week, are as follows:
In the article titled “Europe is burning: Wildfire experts say it doesn’t need to be”, Dr. ÜRKER emphasizes that the growing intensity of wildfires is not solely due to climate change but also the result of human-shaped landscapes that are increasingly prone to fire. He points out that in Mediterranean countries like Türkiye, the abandonment of traditional land-use practices such as grazing has led to increased fuel accumulation, escalating wildfire risks.
Stressing the importance of living with fire rather than only fighting it, Dr. ÜRKER highlights that wildfire ecology should serve as a foundation for adaptive and sustainable fire management strategies.
P.S. The European Correspondent is an independent European media platform focusing on current environmental and societal issues across Europe.
https://www.europeancorrespondent.com/article?s=Europe-is-burning-Wildfire-experts-say-it-doesnt-need-to-be