Consequences of Catastrophic Landscape Fires in Ukraine for Forest Ecosystems and Population

Abstract

According to the latest research and publications of international organisations, since the end of the 20th century, the number and frequency of catastrophic forest fires in the world have been increasing, which lead to large economic and environmental losses and human casualties. According to forecasts, negative changes in weather conditions should be expected on the territory of Ukraine, from the standpoint of fire danger: an increase in air temperature, a shift in seasons, an increase in the duration of vegetation and fire-hazardous periods, an increase in the frequency and intensity of heat waves and natural hydrometeorological phenomena, changes in water resources of local runoff. In 2020, several catastrophic fires occurred on the territory of Ukraine in the natural landscapes of different regions. Among the largest and most catastrophic fires that led to human casualties, and substantial economic, environmental, and social consequences are fires in Zhytomyr, Luhansk, Kharkiv, and Kyiv regions. The main prerequisite for such large fires was weather conditions, namely a long period without precipitation, high air temperature and wind gusts of 15-25 m/s. In Ukraine, there are two main critical periods in terms of the frequency and danger of forest fires: the first is in spring after the snow cover descends and before the formation of new greenery; the second is in late summer – in the first half of autumn when dry combustible materials appear on agricultural land, and people burn plant remains in the fields. The events of 2020 showed that the current system is not ready to effectively resist large forest fires and the need for its continuous improvement in accordance with new challenges. In the study based on available official information, data obtained through remote sensing and from the Geoportal “Landscape fires of Ukraine” (wildfires.org.ua) information is provided on the most catastrophic fires that occurred in the natural landscapes of Ukraine in 2020. The components of the system of protection of natural landscapes from fires are considered, the main shortcomings are identified and key recommendations for its improvement are formulated.