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: Heatwaves 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