VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Forest Fires - 

UN researchers are set to publish their strongest statement yet on the science of climate change. The report will likely detail significant changes to the world's oceans, ice caps and land in the coming decades.

Due out on Monday, the report has been compiled by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

It will be their first global assessment on the science of global heating since 2013. It is expected the forthcoming Summary for Policymakers will be a key document for global leaders when they meet in November.

The politicians are due to gather for a climate summit, known as COP26, in Glasgow.

After two weeks of virtual negotiations between scientists and representatives of 195 governments, the IPCC will launch the first part of a three-pronged assessment of the causes, impacts and solutions to climate change.

It is the presence of these government officials that makes the IPCC different from other science bodies. After the report has been approved in agreement with governments, they effectively take ownership of it.

On Monday, a short, 40-page Summary for Policymakers will be released dealing with the physical science.

It may be brief, but the new report is expected to pack a punch.

"We've seen over a couple of months, and years actually, how climate change is unfolding; it's really staring us in the face," said Dr Heleen de Coninck, from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, who is a coordinating lead author for the IPCC Working Group III.

"It's really showing what the impacts will be, and this is just the start. So I think what this report will add is a big update of the state of the science, what temperature increase are we looking at - and what are the physical impacts of that?"

According to many observers, there have been significant improvements in the science in the last few years,

"Our models have gotten better, we have a better understanding of the physics and the chemistry and the biology, and so they're able to simulate and project future temperature changes and precipitation changes much better than they were," said Dr Stephen Cornelius from WWF, an observer at IPCC meetings.

"Another change has been that attribution sciences have increased vastly in the last few years. We can make greater links between climate change and extreme weather events."

As well as updates on temperature projections, there will likely be a strong focus on the question of humanity's role in creating the climate crisis.

It's expected that this time the IPCC will also outline just how much of an influence humans are having on the oceans, the atmosphere and other aspects of our planetary systems. As the world has experienced a series of devastating fires and floods in recent months that have been linked to climate change, the report will also include a new chapter linking extreme weather events to rising temperatures. Many have welcomed this development.

"I remain hopeful that the scientific evidence will show the stark reality of a world already altered by our rapidly changing climate and will motivate all nations to deliver urgent emission reductions and the necessary amount of climate finance at COP26," said Mohammed Adjei Sowah, who is the mayor of Accra in Ghana and vice chair of the C40 group of cities.

"We only need to look out of our windows to see that the climate crisis is already here. Cities such as Accra and nations such as Ghana, which have contributed the least to greenhouse gas emissions, will experience many of the greatest impacts."

One of the things that gives the report additional muscle is the fact that it is not just one particular research paper on one topic - the reviewers consider all the research carried out on each area of focus//BBC

A man is silhouetted as he watches a wildfire burning in the village of Lasdikas near ancient Olympia, Greece, August 5, 2021 - 

Wildfires in Greece raged into the night burning more forest and homes in the northern outskirts of Athens and other parts of the country and forcing more evacuations as more international aid was on the way.

Authorities struggled with 154 wildfires across the country on Friday with the biggest fronts still burning in the north of Athens, the island of Evia and areas in the Peloponnese including Mani, Messinia and ancient Olympia, the site of the first Olympic Games.

"We are facing another, more difficult night," Deputy Civil Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias told reporters. "Wildfires of unprecedented intensity and spread, all our forces are fighting the battle day and night to save lives, together with volunteers."

In the northern part of the island of Evia near Athens, the coast guard evacuated 650 people by boat as wildfires burned through forestland all the way to the shore for the fourth day.

As night approached, firefighters kept battling a continuous resurgence of blazes in the north of Athens which, fanned by strong winds, threatened to engulf the lake of Marathon and go up Mount Parnitha.

Greece, like much of the rest of Europe, has been grappling with extreme weather this summer. A week-long heatwave - its worst in 30 years - has sparked simultaneous wildfires in many parts of the country, burning homes and killing animals as flames tear through thousands of acres of land.

The fire, which broke out on Tuesday, burned around the main highway linking Athens to northern Greece and hundreds of firefighters with water-bombing aircraft battled to contain it.

A 38-year-old man was killed on Friday by a falling electricity pylon in a suburb north of Athens, the hospital where he was treated said.

In neighbouring Turkey, authorities are battling the country's worst-ever wildfires. Flames sweeping through its southwestern coastal regions forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. In Italy, hot winds fanned flames on the island of Sicily this week.

Police went door to door on Friday urging people to leave their homes north of Athens. Authorities ordered the evacuation of more suburbs in the north of Athens as the blaze advanced, burning more homes, cars and businesses.

"We are witnessing a catastrophe of historic proportions and climate change is the basic cause," said Alexis Tsipras, leader of Greece's main political opposition. "We must support our frontline fighters and all who lost the efforts of a lifetime in a few minutes."

Temperatures have been over 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) all week and little let up came on Friday with high winds spreading the flames further.

The Athens power grid operator announced staggered power cuts in the surrounding region to ensure there were no major outages in mainland Greece.

In Gytheio in the southern Peloponnese, a coast guard vessel rescued 10 people from a beach as a blaze there flared. Locals made desperate calls for firefighting aircraft.

More foreign help was on the way with Switzerland sending three helicopters, joining other countries, including France, Cyprus, Israel, Sweden and the Ukraine who sent firefighters and water-bombing aircraft, the civil protection minister said.

The U.S. Navy was sending a P-8 aerial reconnaissance aircraft to support firefighting efforts.

In the Peloponnese, where firefighters saved Ancient Olympia from a fire this week, the flames left behind scorched earth and dead animals.

"A catastrophe," said farmer Marinos Anastopoulos. "The fire came around midday with swirling winds and homes were burned, a lot of animals burned to death. Rabbits, sheep, dogs, everything."//Reuters