Nairobi: India’s resolution titled “Strengthening the Global Management of Wildfires” was adopted at the seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) in Nairobi on Friday, marking a significant step towards coordinated global action against the growing threat of wildfires. The resolution, moved by India, received wide support from UN member states, reflecting international consensus on the urgency of the issue.
Presenting the resolution, India highlighted that wildfires have emerged as one of the most serious environmental challenges worldwide, with their frequency, scale and intensity increasing steadily due to climate change, rising temperatures, prolonged droughts and human activities. Once largely seasonal, wildfires have now become recurrent and prolonged events, causing widespread ecological and economic damage.
India noted that millions of hectares of land are affected by wildfires every year, leading to destruction of forests, biodiversity, water resources and soil health, while severely impacting air quality, livelihoods and forest-dependent communities. Wildfires also contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and weaken natural carbon sinks, thereby compounding climate risks.
Citing the UNEP report Spreading Like Wildfire, India warned that the global incidence of wildfires could increase by 14 per cent by 2030, 30 per cent by 2050 and as much as 50 per cent by 2100 if current trends persist. These projections, India stressed, underline the need for urgent, long-term and climate-informed international cooperation.
India called for a shift from largely reactive firefighting approaches to proactive prevention and preparedness, emphasising better planning, early-warning systems and timely risk-reduction measures. The resolution promotes an integrated fire management approach, combining early-warning mechanisms, risk mapping, satellite-based monitoring and the active involvement of local communities and frontline responders.
The role of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in supporting countries through policy guidance, capacity building and ecosystem restoration was underscored. India also acknowledged the Global Fire Management Hub, established in 2023 by UNEP and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), as a key platform for coordinating global wildfire management efforts.
Key Provisions of the Resolution
The resolution calls for strengthened international cooperation to develop early-warning systems, risk assessment tools, and satellite- and ground-based monitoring, alongside community-based alert mechanisms. It also seeks enhanced regional and global collaboration for wildfire prevention, post-fire recovery and ecosystem restoration.
Other focus areas include knowledge-sharing platforms, training and capacity-building programmes, support for national and regional wildfire action plans, and assistance to countries in accessing international finance through multilateral and results-based funding mechanisms.
Reaffirming its commitment, India said it would continue to work closely with UNEP, UN member states and international partners to enhance global preparedness, prevention and resilience in the face of escalating wildfire risks.
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