As wildfires have swept across parts of the country this summer, some commentators have been quick to blame rewilding and nature restoration as the cause. However, the opposite is true. The reality is that wildfires are overwhelmingly a consequence of human activity. The spark is often human made, whether it be a BBQ or a discarded cigarette, a faulty vehicle, or even in some cases deliberate arson. 

This August we had a fire at Crookham Common, which the fire service concluded was caused by arson. Today’s origin of ‘wildfires’ is people, and the reason fires can spread so rapidly is because our landscapes are becoming hotter and drier as a result of human-driven climate change.

We have had yet another summer that is the hottest on record, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees in May, June, July and August. July was the driest on record, with only 8% of the average rainfall for this period. Against this backdrop, it is deeply misleading to suggest that restoring nature creates the conditions for wildfires simply because there may be more vegetation available to burn. The conditions for wildfires exist because we have mistreated our natural environment and altered the climate. The same is true for flooding.

For generations, we have drained wetlands, straightened rivers and engineered our landscapes to remove water as quickly as possible. We have degraded the natural systems that once held water on the landscape. The result is land that dries out more quickly in hot weather and is less able to cope with extreme rainfall when rain eventually returns.

Nature is not the problem. Nature is part of the solution.

We have lost around 90% of the UK's wetlands, yet these habitats can play a vital role in making our landscapes more resilient to climate extremes. Wetlands hold water in the landscape. In winter, that can help slow the flow of water and reduce the risk of flooding. In summer, wetter landscapes are less vulnerable to becoming tinder-dry and can provide natural breaks that help limit the spread of fire. Nature restoration is not just about creating habitats for wildlife, but rebuilding the natural systems that help us cope with the economic costs of a changing climate.

Despite what some commentators might say, the choice is not between wildlife or wildfires. The choice is whether we continue to degrade the habitats and ecosystems that protect us from extreme weather, or whether we restore them and create a safer environment for all.

We need to restore wetlands, healthy rivers, peatlands, woodlands and other natural habitats. We need to give nature more space to recover and, in doing so, make our landscapes more resilient to drought, flooding, heat and fire. We need to tackle the causes of climate change that are making extreme weather more frequent and severe.

Wildfires are not a reason to strip nature from our landscapes. They are another warning that we have stripped too much nature away already.