Wildfires involve the burning of vegetation and organic matter, releasing a mix of pollutants into the atmosphere, including fine particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

UNEP,2022 on Wildfire:

Climate change influences wildfire behaviour through changes in weather, which affect vegetation growth and drying (rainfall, temperature, evapotranspiration). By the end of the century, the probability of extreme wildfire events is projected to increase by 31-57% (UNEP, 2022).

In wildfire suppression, technology has clear limitations. Containment is often subject to weather and fuel conditions. A change in weather or fuel availability is frequently necessary to halt the spread of a wildfire. Understanding these limitations is essential to ensure safe and effective response while minimising risk to firefighters and the public (UNEP, 2022).

Global Fire Monitoring Centre(2013) on Wildfire:

Unplanned and uncontrolled vegetation fires (wildfires) may be started by natural causes (lightning, occasionally by burning coal seams or volcanic activity), or-predominantly at the global level-by human activities, primarily through the burning of live or dead vegetation in natural or anthropogenically altered ecosystems. These ecosystems include forests, grasslands, shrublands (bush, scrub), organic terrain (peatlands, wetlands), cultivated lands (agricultural and pasture lands, plantations, abandoned cultivated lands) and protected areas (wilderness, conservation sites).

Landscape fire attributes and descriptors include:

Fuel type (e.g., grass, shrub, forest, peat)

Fire type (e.g., ground, surface, crown)

Fire behaviour and emissions (e.g., spread rate, intensity, severity, radiative power, smouldering vs. flaming combustion, gas and particle emissions)

Temporal and spatial features (e.g., creeping fires, spotting, flashovers, short- to long-duration events; single vs. multiple fires) (Global Fire Monitoring Centre, 2013).

Global Fire Management Hub (or “Fire Hub”)

The Global Fire Management Hub (or “Fire Hub”) brings together key partners to strengthen countries’ capacities to implement integrated fire management with the major impact of reducing the many negative impacts of wildfires on livelihoods and landscapes.

Wildfire and Haze:

Wildfires contribute significantly to haze by releasing substantial amounts of particulate matter and other harmful gases into the atmosphere, exacerbating existing air pollution and posing serious risks to human health and the environment.

The only regional legal agreement currently in place is the Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN, 2002).

About Global Fire Monitoring Centre (GFMC)

The Global Fire Monitoring Centre (GFMC) is a Germany-based, internationally recognized organization dedicated to landscape fire monitoring, early warning, and capacity-building efforts worldwide. It operates under the Fire Ecology Research Group at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Freiburg University, and is recognized as an associated institute of the United Nations University (UNU)

About Global Fire Management Hub, or Fire Hub

Global Fire Management Hub, or Fire Hub, is a collaborative initiative launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in May 2023 to bolster countries’ capacity for Integrated Fire Management (IFM). It aims to significantly reduce the negative impacts of wildfires on communities, landscapes, and global climate systems

About United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Established in 1972, following the landmark United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm, Sweden.

Headquarters:Nairobi, Kenya — the only major UN agency based in the Global South.

Flagship Reports

• Emissions Gap Report
• Global Environment Outlook (GEO)
• Adaptation Gap Report
• Making Peace with Nature

These reports guide climate, biodiversity, and pollution policy at global, regional, and national levels.

 Major Campaigns and Observances

• World Environment Day (June 5) – UNEP’s biggest awareness campaign since 1974.
• Clean Seas, Faith for Earth, and Beat Pollution initiatives.
• Champions of the Earth – UNEP’s annual award honoring outstanding environmental leaders.

 Key Areas of Focus (2022–2025 Strategy)

1. Climate Action – Accelerating decarbonization and resilience.
2. Nature Action – Protecting ecosystems and biodiversity.
3. Pollution Action – Reducing air, water, and soil pollution.
4. Environmental Governance – Supporting laws, rights, and institutions.
5. Finance & Economic Transformation – Green economy and sustainable finance.
6. Digital Transformation – Leveraging data and tech for the planet.

 Partnerships & Multilateral Treaties(UNEP hosts or supports):

• IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)
• CITES (Wildlife trade)
• Montreal Protocol (Ozone protection)
• Minamata Convention (Mercury)
• Bamako & Basel Conventions (Hazardous waste)