Why in news?

India’s resolution on “Strengthening the Global Management of Wildfires” was adopted at the 7th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) in Nairobi.

Backed by broad support from Member States, the move underscores global acknowledgement of the growing wildfire threat and the need for coordinated international action.

What’s in Today’s Article?

• UN Environment Assembly (UNEA): An Overview
• Wildfires as a Growing Global Environmental Risk
• Towards Integrated Fire Management
• Other Highlights of UNEA-7

UN Environment Assembly (UNEA): An Overview

• UNEA is the world’s highest-level decision-making body on environmental matters.
• It provides a global platform for addressing pressing environmental challenges.
• UNEA was established in 2012 following the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) held in Brazil, as part of efforts to strengthen global environmental governance.
• Membership and Participation
  • UNEA has universal membership, comprising all 193 UN Member States, with active participation from major groups and stakeholders.
  • It convenes every two years in Nairobi, Kenya, bringing together environment ministers from across the world.
• Functions and Mandate
  • UNEA:
    • Sets the global environmental agenda
    • Provides overarching policy guidance and responses to emerging environmental issues
    • Reviews policies, facilitates dialogue, and promotes exchange of experiences
    • Defines the strategic direction of UNEP
    • Encourages partnerships and mobilises resources for environmental goals
• UNEA-7 (2025) Session
  • The seventh session of UNEA (2025) is being held in Nairobi, Kenya, under the theme: “Advancing sustainable solutions for a resilient planet.”

Wildfires as a Growing Global Environmental Risk

• India highlighted that wildfires have evolved from seasonal events into frequent and prolonged disasters worldwide.
• Climate change, rising temperatures, extended droughts, and human activities are driving increases in their scale and intensity, causing widespread ecological and economic damage.
• Environmental and Socio-Economic Impacts
  • Each year, millions of hectares are affected by fires, leading to the loss of forests and biodiversity, degradation of water and soil health, deterioration of air quality, and disruption of livelihoods.
  • Wildfires also emit large volumes of greenhouse gases, weaken carbon sinks, and severely impact forest-dependent communities and national economies.
• Scientific Warnings and Need for Proactive Action
  • Citing UNEP’s Spreading Like Wildfire report, India noted projections that wildfires could increase by 14% by 2030, 30% by 2050, and 50% by 2100 if current trends persist.
  • These findings underline wildfires as a long-term, climate-driven global risk requiring coordinated international action and a shift from reactive response to proactive prevention.

Towards Integrated Fire Management

• India emphasised a global transition towards Integrated Fire Management, focusing on early-warning systems, risk mapping, satellite-based monitoring, and the involvement of local communities and frontline personnel.
• UNEP’s role in supporting adaptation, ecosystem restoration, and strategy development was underscored, along with the importance of the Global Fire Management Hub established by FAO and UNEP in 2023.
• Key Provisions of the Resolution
  • The resolution calls for:
    • Stronger international cooperation on early-warning systems, risk assessment tools, ecosystem monitoring, and community-based alerts.
    • Enhanced regional and global collaboration for prevention, recovery, and ecosystem restoration.
    • Knowledge sharing and capacity building through best-practice platforms and training programmes.
    • Support for national and regional action plans on integrated fire management and wildfire resilience.
    • Improved access to international finance, including assistance in project preparation for multilateral and results-based funding mechanisms.

Other Highlights of UNEA-7

• The seventh session of UNEA ended in Nairobi with the adoption of 11 resolutions.
• This marked both strong multilateral environmental commitments and sharp political disagreements, most notably the United States’ withdrawal from all resolution negotiations.
• Wide Range of Environmental Issues Addressed
  • Alongside the wildfire resolution, UNEA-7 adopted decisions on:
    • coral reef protection,
    • minerals and metals governance,
    • sargassum management,
    • chemicals and waste,
    • antimicrobial resistance,
    • AI sustainability,
    • glacier and cryosphere protection,
    • youth participation, and
    • coordination among multilateral environmental agreements.
  • With Jamaica set to assume the Presidency for UNEA-8, member states emphasised the need to rebuild trust, strengthen multilateral cooperation, and sustain momentum in the face of escalating global environmental crises.
• US Withdrawal Casts a Shadow Over the Assembly
  • Despite broad consensus on several issues, UNEA-7 was overshadowed by the US decision to disengage from negotiations.
  • Washington criticised resolutions for including contentious language and themes beyond UNEA’s environmental mandate, disassociated itself from all adopted outcomes, and signalled a review of its participation in global environmental bodies.
  • Diplomats described the US stance as a setback for collective environmental ambition.
  • Several delegates warned that disengagement could undermine progress on chemicals management, biodiversity loss linked to climate change, and environmental finance.