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🇬🇷 Greece /Disasters & Emergencies

UN warns wildfires and heatwaves threaten air-quality gains

From Kathimerini · () Greek

Translated from Greek and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The World Meteorological Organization warned that intensifying wildfires and heatwaves could undermine international progress on air quality and public health.
  • The agency said climate change and air pollution require coordinated policies, as wildfires increasingly emit PM2.5 and ground-level ozone.
  • In 2025, PM2.5 concentrations exceeded long-term averages in northern Canada, parts of Russia, western and central Africa, and northwestern Spain because of increased fire activity.

Wildfires and heatwaves are threatening to erase some of the progress made on air quality, the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization said in its annual report on air quality and climate.

The WMO said air pollution and climate change are closely linked and should be addressed through coordinated policies rather than treated as separate problems. Climate change is making international targets for cleaner air harder to achieve, while extreme wildfires are expected to become more frequent.

Many developed countries have reduced industrial and transport pollution through stricter regulations. But forest fires are becoming an increasingly important source of hazardous air pollution. “No matter how clean your city or region is, if there is a large amount of pollution coming from wildfires, it can negatively affect air quality in those areas,” Lorenzo Labrador, a WMO scientific officer, told Reuters.

The report highlights PM2.5 fine particles and ground-level ozone, both linked to respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Smoke from wildfires is a major source of PM2.5, and Labrador said fire-generated particles are especially harmful because they carry toxic chemicals. Inhalation can trigger inflammation throughout the body, which may lead to lung disease.

The WMO also called for better monitoring of pollutants and aerosols, including black carbon and microplastics, which the report says remain inadequately measured despite their widespread presence. In 2025, fire activity pushed PM2.5 levels above long-term averages in northern Canada, parts of Russia, western and central Africa, and northwestern Spain.

No matter how clean your city or region is, if there is a large amount of pollution coming from wildfires, it can negatively affect air quality in those areas.

· Lorenzo LabradorThe WMO scientific officer explained how wildfire smoke can affect air quality far from the fires.
About this summary

Originally published by Kathimerini in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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