Greece launched 4 satellites into orbit with thermal (infrared) sensors for monitoring forest fireshaving taken an important step successful the improvement of our ain system climate safety.
The motorboat was carried retired by a rocket SpaceX Falcon 9 from the cosmodrome Vandenberg. Satellites became portion National Microsatellite Program and formed the country’s archetypal specialized orbital constellation to show fires.
The system was developed by the institution OroraTech and allows you to person information successful astir real timewhich importantly increases the ratio of warning and effect to exigency situations.
How the system will work
- early detection of fires;
- continuous monitoring of occurrence spread;
- detailed mapping of affected areas;
- transfer of information to a unified state platform.
Information from satellites will participate a centralized system accessible to authorities agencies, which creates single operational power center successful exigency situations.
Not conscionable fires
The functionality of satellites is not constricted to occurrence fighting. They will besides cod information for analysis:
- sea surface temperatures;
- state of coastal zones and inland water bodies;
- land use successful agriculture, forests and cities.
This information will amended absorption water resources, environmental policy and measures for adaptation to clime change.
Context: the outgo of clime risks
Estimated EUlast summer’s utmost weather events caused economical losses of astatine slightest 43 cardinal euros. By 2029, this fig could emergence to 126 cardinal euros.
Last year was the worst year successful European past successful terms of the standard of wood fires: the burned country exceeded 1 cardinal hectares.
Forest occurrence statistics successful Greece: dynamics from 2021 to 2025
Greece successful caller years has regularly faced large-scale forest fireswhich person go systemic.Greece faces wood fires each year, which origin superior harm and stay 1 of the astir achy problems for the state and its inhabitants.
Dynamics by year
- 2021 — about 130,700 hectares scorched. One of the astir destructive seasons successful caller years (according to Ekathimerini).
- 2022 – a much mean play compared to 2021, without utmost values.
- 2023 — about 174,700 hectares burned – 1 of the worst indicators successful decades (according to Ekathimerini).
- 2024 – adjacent 44,500 hectares and astir 9,500 fires (according to Reuters).
- 2025 — 47,800 – 50,000 hectaresthe 5th heaviest play successful the past 20 years (according to WWF Greece And Ekathimerini).
Economic damage
Official estimates for Greece published successful a constricted and fragmentary manner. However:
- According to To Vimain Europe, utmost weather events pb to losses successful tens of billions of euros annually.
- For Greece, large occurrence seasons are estimated by experts successful hundreds of millions of euros successful damageincluding:
- destruction of housing;
- agricultural losses;
- damage to tourism;
- destruction of forests.
Reasons and factors
- To 70% of fires are caused by quality factors (according to Le Monde).
- Climate alteration is expanding the size and speed of occurrence spread.
- Insufficient prevention and mediocre infrastructure mentation aggravate the consequences.
General conclusion
Forest fires successful Greece are nary longer an objection – they are a persistent yearly reality.
Even successful comparatively “calm” years, the state loses tens of thousands of hectares of forest, and successful unfavorable seasons it faces large-scale biology and economical consequences.
Editorial comment
For the archetypal clip successful a agelong time, Greece is acting proactively, and not successful effect to the catastrophe.
Every summer, the state faces devastating fires that destruct forests, infrastructure and tourism potential. Until now, the absorption was often delayed, and the struggle was already carried retired with the consequences.
Creating your ain outer system is an effort to determination from reactive model To proactive. The lone question is however efficaciously authorities agencies will beryllium capable to use this information successful practice.
Technology by itself does not enactment retired fires. She gives time. But whether the system will beryllium capable to take vantage of this clip will beryllium seen successful the coming summer.
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