UN Warns Climate-Fueled Wildfires are Intensifying Air Pollution Worlwide

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1407 EAT on Friday 5 September 2025

Wildfires made a significant contribution to global air pollution last year, according to the United Nations’ weather and climate agency.

In a report released Friday, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned that increasingly frequent and intense wildfires — likely driven by climate change — are releasing a “witches’ brew” of toxic pollutants, capable of degrading air quality thousands of kilometers away.

The WMO’s 2024 Air Quality and Climate Bulletin highlights how wildfire smoke has become a major contributor to hazardous air pollution, with severe implications for human health, ecosystems, and the climate.

The report noted that wildfire activity reached exceptionally high levels in several regions last year, including Canada, the Mediterranean, Siberia, and parts of South America. Canada alone experienced its worst wildfire season on record, with smoke plumes traveling across the Atlantic and impacting air quality in Europe.

“These fires are not only devastating locally — they’re exporting pollution across borders and even continents,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. “As the climate continues to warm, we can expect more frequent, intense, and longer-lasting wildfires, further worsening global air quality.”

Wildfire smoke contains fine particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds — all of which are harmful to human health. Prolonged exposure to PM2.5 is linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization.

The WMO emphasized that the combination of rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and land-use changes are creating ideal conditions for wildfires to ignite and spread — a trend expected to accelerate without urgent climate action.

Wildfires in regions such as the Amazon, Canada, and Siberia have underscored the far-reaching impact of smoke on global air quality, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in its fifth annual Air Quality and Climate Bulletin.

“Wildfires are a major contributor to particle pollution, and the problem is expected to intensify as the climate continues to warm — posing growing risks to infrastructure, ecosystems, and human health,” the WMO said in a statement.

The agency stressed the need for integrated action on both climate change and air quality, warning that treating them as separate issues undermines effective solutions.

“Climate change and air quality cannot be addressed in isolation,” said Ko Barrett, Deputy Secretary-General of the WMO. “They must be tackled together to protect our planet, our communities, and our economies.”

Highlighting the impact of tiny airborne particles known as aerosols, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) emphasized their role in wildfires, winter fog, shipping emissions, and urban pollution. Of particular concern are fine particulate matter (PM2.5) — particles with a diameter smaller than 2.5 micrometres — which can penetrate deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system, posing serious health risks.

According to the WMO, wildfires in 2024 led to above-average PM2.5 concentrations in regions including Canada, Siberia, and Central Africa. The most significant spike, however, was recorded in the Amazon Basin, where intense fire activity drove PM2.5 levels far beyond typical seasonal averages.

WMO Scientific Officer Lorenzo Labrador, who coordinated the Air Quality and Climate Bulletin, said that wildfires in Canada have contributed to transcontinental air pollution, with smoke drifting as far as Europe.

“We saw this last year, and again this year,” Labrador said during a news conference, as reported by Al Jazeera. “When meteorological conditions align, air quality can deteriorate across continents.”

He described wildfire smoke as a dangerous mix of pollutants.

“What we have from these fires is essentially a ‘witches’ brew’ of components that pollute the air,” he added.

The WMO has urged governments to strengthen air quality monitoring systems and implement more effective policies to protect human health, safeguard the environment, and minimize agricultural and economic losses.

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