Heat Wave, Raging Fires Take Toll Across Maghreb
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12 August 13, 2017 News & Analysis Maghreb Massive loss. A blaze spreading through the hills of a national park north of Tunis. (AFP) Heat wave, raging fires take toll across Maghreb Lamine Ghanmi for Agricultural Production Omar El instigating the fires in the hope of tion that the government would Algerian climatologist Kadi Béhi said nearly 2,000 hectares of drawing benefits from the arson. call them back to work to help put Lamine said: “Indeed, hot weather forest had been lost to fires. “A charcoal mafia had caused the out the fires,” he said. is the beginning of a long period Tunis Algerian Agriculture Minister fires to collect the wood they would Chibani did not comment on a of heat wave because of climate Abdelkader Bouazgui told farmers sell as charcoal during the Eid al- report by the Al Chourouk daily, change. ore than 18,000 hec- during a meeting in the eastern re- Adha feasts,” said Algerian Direc- which quoted “security sources” “The impact of that change tares of the Maghreb’s gion of Jijel that 1,600 fires were re- tor General of Forests Azzedine as saying “the outbreak of the doz- would be swift and brutal. We will forest cover have ported since early July, causing the Sekrane. ens of fires at the same time in the experience extreme weather condi- been lost in about loss of more than 15,000 hectares of He said the fires amounted to north-western forest strip in Tu- tions during summer and winter. 1,700 fire outbreaks forest across northern Algeria. “the highest number of blazes in nisia is linked to a plot by terrorist The region will switch from period Min recent weeks, when extreme He said an unknown number Algeria’s history.” groups based in Libya.” of heavy rains to severe drought weather fanned blazes and forced of fruit and olive trees, herds and Colonel Major Khalifa Chibani, “The terrorists plotted to stage a without passing by moderate sea- hundreds of people to flee homes honey bee hives had been lost by spokesman of the Tunisian Na- huge attack throughout the border sons of spring and autumn.” and farms at the edge of forests. farmers across the country because tional Guard, said at a news brief- at a time when military and police Tunisian researchers Sahla Farmers have lost hundreds of of the fires. ing that authorities had opened 26 forces were to be deployed to help Mezghani and Yadh Labbene, mod- fruit trees and parts of their herds Algerian Interior Minister investigations of suspected arson put out the fires,” the newspaper elling studies about climate change, to the fires, some of which were de- Noureddine Badaoui said farmers perpetrators. reported, adding that “top security said that “the heat waves will in- liberately set, officials said. could receive government compen- “Investigations proved that some officials were rushed from Tunis to crease, adding to the conditions Two shepherds, aged 44 and 45, sation for damages but only after former forest temporary workers check reinforced security measures that help spark forest fires.” died August 8 while trying to save investigations had been conducted. had staged fires under the assump- at the border to ward off the plot.” They urged Tunisian officials to their herds trapped by fire in Bou Authorities in Algeria and Tunisia An ominous signal for the region prepare a “national strategy that Shaba forest in north-eastern Alge- said they suspected some fires had about the effects of the heat wave would adapt farming, water re- ria, the Interior Ministry said. been deliberately set. Investigators’ Scientists warn came from the Sahara Desert, north sources and the ecosystem to cli- Temperatures of more than 47 suspicions were raised by the rapid that forest fires of Mauritania, where at least ten mate change.” degrees Celsius were recorded spread of fires and relatively high camels died because of extreme Moroccan climatologist Moham- across the Maghreb, amplifying the number of incidents compared to and scorching weather. Camels have long been med-Said Karrouk also predicted effects of an extended drought in those in similar areas in previous weather are a symbol of resistance to extreme rising cycles of drought, a high some areas. years. giving the region heat in the region. frequency of heat waves and rare Tunisian emergency department Officials in Algiers blamed a a taste of the Scientists in the Maghreb warned instance of rainfall in Morocco and services official Salah Korbi said “charcoal mafia” for staging most effects of climate that forest fires and scorching the region in the coming decades. that, as of July 29, there had been of the fire outbreaks. In Tunisia, weather were giving the region 94 forest fires across eight prov- authorities arrested more than 17 change in the a taste of the effects of climate Lamine Ghanmi is an Arab Weekly inces. Tunisian Secretary of State people, most of them suspected of coming decades. change in the coming decades. correspondent in Tunis. Fire prevention strategy key to Maghreb’s future ecent scenes of fires the dry and hot season of summer ties should raise the level of alert rescuing locals and battling fires. blazing across hec- or even a sparkle of sunlight that and prepare for the worst. However, Colonel Mounir Riabi, tares of parched glistens through a dew drop, can, In Tunisia and neighbouring the regional director of the Civil Iman Zayat grassland and cork like a magnifying glass, trigger a Algeria, which has lost more than Defence denied Algerian involve- is the Managing Editor oak forests in Tu- fire that quickly spreads. 15,000 hectares of forest to this ment, saying they were busy extin- of The Arab Weekly. nisia bring to mind However, when fire spreads summer’s fires, there is need to guishing fires that were spreading the chilling open- fast and in many different areas, improve fire control methods and in their own territory. Ring lines of Robert Frost’s famous human involvement is considered response strategies. If the two countries were better poem “Fire and Ice.” likely. In both Tunisia and Algeria, Houses in rural areas need to be prepared, however, they could “Some say the world will end in officials confirmed that arsonists kept free of surrounding shrubs have coordinated efforts and lim- fire, had set some of the wildfires. and small trees. Controlled fires ited the damage that took place. “Some say in ice,” Frost wrote in Regardless of how the fires should be set when underbrush While the fires are now extin- a poem first published in 1920. started, citizens of the Maghreb can be burned. Outbreaks should guished, the threat is far from over. Disastrous episodes have oc- should consider it their collective be swiftly controlled to stop their As the effects of climate change curred in Tunisia’s north-western responsibility to prevent such spread, which can be exacerbated are further felt, the Maghreb is districts of Ain Draham and Fer- incidents. by heat and wind. projected to experience a new nana and in the north-central area In the midst of the unusual heat- Ultimately, countries in the threshold of extreme weather, of Jebel Bargou. Later, Sejnane, a wave that has seen temperatures Maghreb need to be better pre- which will magnify the risk of town and commune in the gover- exceed 47 degrees Celsius, authori- pared to fend off recurring fires. disasters, experts said. norate of Bizerte, was also hit by One of the most pressing needs is It is not just fire to be concerned blazes. more equipment since the gear on about. In the winter, ice and snow, About 2,000 hectares of forest hand is stretched thin. They espe- are a menace. Tunisia’s memories burned over the course of five cially need protective gear, water of heavy snowfall last January days, Tunisian authorities said. As the effects of hoses and fire-fighting aircraft, all are still as vivid as ever: Scenes of While most of the outbreaks climate change of which are crucial for stopping blocked roads, trapped motorists were attributed to a severe fires in remote and mountainous and suffering locals demonstrated heatwave engulfing the are further felt, areas. just how bitter the reality of un- country, an investigation was the Maghreb is Also urgent is the need to fund checked snowfall can be. launched into suspected cases projected to and train more skilled fire-fighting Whether fire or ice, it is time for of arson. crews, including community the Maghreb and the world to con- Environmental experts said experience a volunteers who can act quickly if sider how to deal with the threat wildfires are not strange phe- new threshold similar disasters take place. of extreme weather and reduce nomena in themselves. They During recent outbreaks in the effects of climate change. The occur naturally for a number of extreme Jendouba, witnesses reported ecological balance and quality of of reasons: A lightning strike in weather. seeing an Algerian aircraft life in the Maghreb is at stake. Ecological balance at stake. A Tunisian man walks in the snow in the town of Maktar in Tunisia's central Siliana region, last January. (AFP).