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Australian Bushfires

Australian fire seasons have been steadily worsening over the last several decades primarily as a result of unprecedented drought conditions with extremely hot and dry weather. Unlike the Brazilian Amazon fires, most Australian bush fires are started by the natural cause of dry lightning, though humans have exacerbated fire extent and intensity through climate change. Fires are also becoming increasingly damaging due to continued expansion of settlements at the urban-wildland interface. 

More Information

The following verified resources can provide additional context for the causes and results of the Australian Fire crisis, through both science and news stories. 

NASA: "NASA Observes Australia's Bushfires"

TIME: "Australia's Wildfires Burned an Area Twice the Size of Florida. Climate Change Means That's Just the Beginning."

UN Environment: "Ten Impacts of the Australian Bushfires"

Wired: "The Terrible Consequences of Australia's Bushfires"

United Nations Foundation: "What the Australian Bushfires Tell Us about Health and Climate Change"

Scientific American: "Australia's Bushfires Have Likely Devastated Wildlife- and the Impact Will Only Get Worse"

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UN Sustainable Development Goals

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The UN SDGs help to guide analysis and policy to achieve a safer, more equal world by 2030. Forest fire events relate directly to SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land). For more information on the SDGs, visit https://sdgs.un.org/goals. 

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