AEMA Stakeholder Summit

Recently, we have seen catastrophic and deadly wildfires around the world. In Canada, recent examples of such events include the Fort McMurray wildfire (the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history) and a record breaking years for wildfire activity in British Columbia in 2017 and 2018. Wildfires have contributed to a drop in National GDP and significant evacuations of communities across Canada. On average, 7,000 wildland fires burn about 2.5 million ha (about half the size of Nova Scotia) every year. The area burned has more than doubled since the 1970s primarily due to human-caused climate change. Impacts from wildfires are rising due to increasing wildfire activity along with increasing societal values on the landscape. Canadian wildfire management agencies currently spend $800 million protecting Canadians and these expenditures are steadily growing.
 
What does the future hold for wildfire in Canada? This session will address the potential impacts of climate change on Canada's forests. In particular, how changes in future fire intensity may be a game changer. How will we manage wildfires in the future given the changing fire environment and the likely increase of humans on the landscape?