The Mediterranean – once a symbol of serenity, history, and breathtaking beauty – is being steadily transformed into a crucible of climate catastrophe. From the pine-clad coastlines of southern Turkiye to the hills of Greece, from the lavender fields of France to the war-scarred valleys of Syria, the region is under siege by unprecedented wildfires. These fires are not isolated accidents of nature, nor are they random events caused by mere misfortune. They are manifestations of a deepening global climate crisis – a crisis that is hitting the Mediterranean harder and faster than almost anywhere else on Earth.

In recent years, the frequency, intensity, and duration of wildfires in the Mediterranean basin have surged alarmingly. Thousands of hectares of land have been scorched. Once-thriving forests – some centuries old – have turned to ash within hours. Wildlife has perished in droves. Towns have been engulfed. Tourists have fled, and local residents have lost not only their homes, but often their sense of safety and future.

Emergency services are struggling to keep up. Firefighters are stretched thin, working day and night in grueling conditions made worse by sweltering heat, high winds, and bone-dry vegetation. In Turkiye alone, the summer wildfire season has grown more destructive each year, with dozens of blazes breaking out simultaneously across multiple provinces. The scenario is similar in Greece, where temperatures have soared above 45°C and fire fronts extend for miles across rural and urban landscapes. France and Italy, too, are not spared, as southern regions grapple with heatwaves and tinderbox conditions that spark fires with terrifying ease.

This is not simply bad luck – it is a scientifically recognized trend. According to climate researchers, the Mediterranean is one of the planet’s most vulnerable regions to the effects of global warming. The region has already surpassed the critical threshold of 1.5°C of warming above pre-industrial levels – and is heating up around 20% faster than the global average. This escalation in........

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