1. Amplified drought trends in Nepal increase the potential for Himalayan wildfires
- Author
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Pokharel, Binod, Sharma, Shankar, Stuivenvolt-Allen, Jacob, Wang, Shih-Yu Simon, LaPlante, Matthew, Gillies, Robert R, Khanal, Sujan, Wehner, Michael, Rhoades, Alan, Hamal, Kalpana, Hatchett, Benjamin, Liu, Wan-Yu, Mukherjee, Sarbajit, and Aryal, Deepak
- Subjects
Earth Sciences ,Atmospheric Sciences ,Climate Action ,Active fire points ,Drought ,SPEI ,Prediction model ,Climate change ,Nepal ,Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences - Abstract
In spring 2021, Nepal underwent a record wildfire season in which active fires were detected at a rate 10 times greater than the 2002–2020 average. Prior to these major wildfire events, the country experienced a prolonged precipitation deficit and extreme drought during the post-monsoon period (starting in October 2020). An analysis using observational, reanalysis, and climate model ensemble data indicates that both climate variability and climate change-induced severe drought conditions were at play. Further analysis of climate model outputs suggests the likely reoccurrence of drought conditions, thus favoring active wildfire seasons in Nepal throughout the twenty-first century. While the inter-model uncertainty is large and direct modeling of wildfire spread and suppression has not been completed, the demonstrated relationship between a drought index (the standardized precipitation and evapotranspiration index) and subsequent fire activity may offer actionable opportunities for forest managers to employ the monitoring and projection of climate anomalies at sub-seasonal to decadal timescales to inform their management strategies for Nepal’s wildlands.
- Published
- 2023