Global Challenges
Quiet year for fires globally – but record fires in several countries
Last year, forest fires tore through 335 million hectares worldwide. This is the second lowest figure since 2002, according to a new study, reports The Guardian. This may have been due to an expansion of agriculture along the African continent that separated and made it more difficult for savannah fires to spread.
At the same time, several countries, especially in the wealthier parts of the world, had record-breaking forest fires. In Spain and Portugal, more than half a million hectares burned, and in South Korea, the largest and deadliest forest fire ever was documented.
In the US, the state of California was hit by two of the most destructive fires in the country's history, when thousands of buildings burned down and dozens of people died.
According to the study, fire damage accounted for 38 percent of all weather-related insurance claims in 2025.
– 2025 shows that even a calm fire year globally can be catastrophic. We see a growing gap between the total burned area and the real effects, says climate scientist Matthew Jones.
Threats to biodiversity
The crested ibis was extinct in Japan – now new ones are being released
Eight crested ibis have been released in the city of Hakui in Japan, reports AP. The birds were extinct on the main island of Honshu as early as the 1970s, and in the rest of Japan in 2003.
The new birds originate from a pair donated to Japan from China in 1999. Another ten will be released soon.
Crested ibis are widely loved in Japan and their release on Sunday was met with jubilation. According to the AP, it is also seen as a good omen for the Noto region, which is still recovering from a devastating earthquake in 2024.
