Burning concern over tree cover loss due to forest fires

PETALING JAYA: Forest fires in the country have become an alarming concern, with some 164,000ha of tree cover lost from 2001 to last year, said NGO Environmental Management and Research Association.

Its vice-president Dr Subramaniam Karuppannan said an additional 8.75 million hectares were lost due to other causes, including deforestation.

“The year that saw the most tree cover loss specifically from fires was 2016, with 20,040ha destroyed. This accounted for 3.6% of total tree cover lost in that year.”

Global Forest Watch, an online platform that provides data and tools for monitoring forests, reported there were a total of 658 fires recorded in the country in 2009, the highest number in a single year.

Most of the fires occurred in Sarawak and Kuala Langat, Selangor.

Subramaniam said: “Over the past two years, the region has witnessed significant environmental problems and health hazards caused by haze and forest fires.

“Fire accidents happened due to human negligence, topography and meteorology.

“These fires not only destroy the natural environment and ecological balance but also pose a serious threat to life and property. They have an impact on the environment, livestock, human health and mortality rates.”

Subramaniam said early detection and prediction of forest fires have become imperative for effective control and is of national importance.

Rashid Zulkarnaien, a health safety and environmental officer at a private environmental consultancy in Subang Jaya, said climate change has led to elevated temperatures and decreased precipitation.

This has created prolonged dry periods that favour the ignition and spread of fires.

“The increasing number of housing developments near forests has raised the likelihood of fires due to human negligence. This will potentially convert regular forest fires into megafires.

“These megafires are characterised by their intense heat, size, uncontrollability and the significant social and economic consequences, including high suppression costs, damage and fatalities.”

On the long-term effects, Rashid said smoke from wildfires, consisting of hazardous air pollutants such as fine particulates (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, ozone, aromatic hydrocarbons and lead, contaminate the air.

It will also impact the climate by releasing large quantities of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

“PM2.5 particulates have been associated with premature deaths, as well as diseases affecting the respiratory, cardiovascular and nervous systems, apart from the skin, stomach, kidneys, eyes, nose and liver.

“It has also been linked to cognitive impairment and memory loss. Firefighters and emergency responders are particularly vulnerable to injuries, burns and smoke inhalation, especially at high concentrations.”

He said extensive interdisciplinary research is needed to understand the long-term health effects of wildfire exposure on vulnerable populations, especially in areas repeatedly exposed to such events.

Rashid said efforts to combat and mitigate forest fires are under way, with the World Health Organisation collaborating with partners to prepare for, prevent, monitor, respond to and recover from emergencies and disasters.

“These include implementing early warning systems and issuing health advisories, assessing health needs, restoring primary care services, strengthening resources for disaster management and facilitating information dissemination and relief efforts.

Rashid added that embracing technology could play a crucial role in mitigating forest fires.

Innovations such as drones equipped with high-definition, infrared and thermal imaging cameras could aid in surveying fire-prone areas, especially at night when manned aircraft are grounded.

He also said artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms could assist in forecasting fire behaviour while tower-mounted cameras could detect fires in remote locations.

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