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Canary Islands Fires An Environmental Catastrophe
Madrid (AFP) Aug 01, 2007 Fires that have devastated Spain's Canary islands over the last several days have been an environmental catastrophe, charring rare species along with swathes of forested land, experts said. Some 20 percent of forests on the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria have burned, Spanish ecologists said, and reforestation is expected to take years. "The Gran Canaria fire is the largest in the history of the archipelago and the one on Tenerife is also in the process of becoming one of the largest," said Sergio Armas, spokesman for Foresta, a foundation for Canaries reforestation. Lourdes Hernandez, a spokesman for environmental organisation WWF/Adena, called the fires on the islands of the west African coast an "environmental catastrophe" and "among the worst that Spain has ever known". The two fires have ravaged 35,000 hectares (85,000 acres) and caused the evauation of 12,000 people, according to regional authorities. Authorities said the fires had been stabilised, though not brought under control. "In six days, the two islands have lost 20 to 25 percent of their forest mass. That's enormous," Hernandez said. According to Armas, the fire has also threatened some 30 plant and animal species on Gran Canaria. The fate of the 4,000 hectares in the Inagua natural preserve is particularly worrying, he said. The preserve includes the rare Canary pines. Joaquin Reina, spokesman for the Ecologists in Action group's nature protection program, said the Canaries account for 25 percent of all vegetation endemic to Spain. "The socio-economic impact will also be very big," Reina said, explaining that the islands depend greatly on their natural environment to attract tourists. That's not to mention the "thousands of people evacuated, including many who will have lost all or part of their homes," he said. While reforestation could take decades for some species, Canary pines may be an exception. "We have one sole glimmer of hope: Canary pines regenerate rather quickly -- between two and three years," said Armas. Ecologists said local authorities were not prepared for the fires. "All communes in Spain are required to establish emergency plans for zones at risk of fire, but that is only the case for five of the 187 communes in the Canaries," Reina said. Environmental groups have proposed a return to traditional activities such as the harvesting of pine needles. The needles, which Armas said have not been harvested in years, have accumulated to a height of more than 50 centimetres (20 inches) in places. The needles are "very flammable and have largely contributed to the propagation of the flames," he said.
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Floods And Fires Across Europe Captured From Space
Paris, France (ESA) Jul 31, 2007Highlighting the extreme weather conditions hitting Europe, space sensors aboard ESA's Envisat satellite have detected the worst floodwaters to hit Britain for 60 years and deadly fires raging through southern Europe. Heavy rains caused the River Thames to burst its banks on Wednesday, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of homes in Britain's university city of Oxford. The flooding across England and Wales has left tens of thousands without electricity and water. |
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