Can Forests Withstand and Recover from Wildfires?

This briefing by the World Resources Institute examines the capacity of various forest types to withstand and recover from wildfires, noting that while some ecosystems are fire-adapted, increasing fire frequency and intensity driven by climate change are undermining this resilience. The document details the drivers of vulnerability, the environmental and economic impacts of recent record-breaking fires, and strategies for strengthening forest resilience through protection, restoration, and the support of Indigenous land rights.

• In 2024, wildfires burned 13 million hectares of natural and planted forests, emitting 4.1 billion tons of greenhouse gases, which is more than four times the 2023 emissions from air travel.
• Forest resilience varies by ecosystem: boreal forests in regions like Canada and Russia have evolved traits such as thick bark and heat-resistant seed pods to survive fire, whereas tropical rainforests like the Amazon and Congo Basin lack these adaptations and can suffer high mortality even from brief, low-intensity fires.
• Climate change and deforestation are increasing forest vulnerability; nearly half of global forests are now more prone to drought, and the majority are twice as likely to experience extreme fire weather. Fragmentation from agricultural expansion further dries out the forest floor and removes seed sources necessary for recovery.
• The economic and human costs of wildfires are significant, with an estimated $45 billion to $77 billion in commercial timber lost since 2001 and wildfire smoke linked to over 1.5 million annual deaths.
• Strategies to enhance resilience include preventing burned areas from being converted to agricultural land, implementing fire breaks and zero-burn land-clearing, and securing land rights for Indigenous peoples and local communities, whose management often leads to faster regrowth and higher carbon storage.

APA

van der Sande, M. (2026). Can Forests Withstand and Recover from Wildfires? World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/insights/forests-wildfire-recovery

Chicago

van der Sande, Masha. Can Forests Withstand and Recover from Wildfires? World Resources Institute, 2026. https://www.wri.org/insights/forests-wildfire-recovery.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=van der Sande |first1=Masha |title=Can Forests Withstand and Recover from Wildfires? |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=15 April 2026 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/forests-wildfire-recovery |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vandersande2026can, author = {van der Sande, Masha}, title = {{Can Forests Withstand and Recover from Wildfires?}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/forests-wildfire-recovery}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }