India pushes for global collaboration for wildfire prevention at UN Environment Assembly

India’s resolution on ‘Strengthening the Global Management of Wildfires’ that calls for enhanced global cooperation and knowledge sharing was adopted at the seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) in Nairobi, Kenya, on Friday.

The resolution aims to reinforce ongoing global activities under the Global Fire Management Hub and calls for strengthened international cooperation. Under this, India’s resolution demands development of early warning systems, risk assessment tools, and satellite- and ground-based ecosystem monitoring, besides promotion of community-based alert mechanisms. It also calls for facilitating access to international finance and support for national and regional action plans.

India underlined that wildfires have emerged as one of the most pressing environmental challenges globally. The resolution aimed at strengthening international cooperation and coordinated action for wildfire management. It highlighted that regions across the world are witnessing a steady rise in the number, scale and intensity of wildfires, which were once limited to seasonal occurrences. Wildfires have now become frequent and prolonged, driven largely by climate change, rising temperatures, extended droughts, and human activities.

Each year millions of hectares of land are affected by fires, causing enormous destruction to forests, biodiversity, water resources, soil health, air quality, and livelihoods. Wildfires also release significant greenhouse gases, weaken carbon sinks, and heavily impact forest-dependent communities and national economies.

India drew attention to UNEP’s global report ‘Spreading Like Wildfire’, which warns that wildfires may rise by 14 per cent by 2030, 30 per cent by 2050 and 50 per cent by 2100, if current trends continue. India stressed that these projections make it clear that wildfires represent a long-term, climate-driven global risk requiring urgent coordinated international action. India emphasised a call for a shift from a reactive response to proactive prevention, through better planning, early-warning and timely risk reduction measures.

The global approach, India stated, is now moving towards Integrated Fire Management, anchored in early warning systems, risk mapping, satellite-based monitoring through collective efforts of local communities and frontline personnel. India underscored the critical role of UNEP in helping countries strengthen wildfire adaptation, develop integrated fire management strategies, and undertake ecosystem restoration.