Sep 6, 2021 - World

Wildfires prompt Greece to create climate crisis ministry

Jacob Knutson

Firefighters battling a fire near Vilia, Greece, in August 2021. Photo: Maria Chourdari/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Greece on Monday established a government ministry to respond to the effects of climate change after wildfires burned hundreds of square miles of land in the country this summer, according to AP.

Why it matters: The ministry will be responsible for combating wildfires, distributing disaster relief and creating policies to help the country adapt to the effects of climate change.

Christos Stylianides, the former European Union commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, was named the head of the new ministry.

The big picture: Heat waves across Europe in July and August contributed to massive wildfires that torched more than 385 square miles of land on the Greece island of Evia, according to AP.

More than 75 wildfires started in Greece over a roughly two-day period in early August.
The same heat waves were behind massive fires in Turkey, Italy and several other European countries.

Go deeper ... UN report: Effects of climate change even more severe than we thought

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Wildfires prompt Greece to create climate crisis ministry

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