The World Meteorological Organization stated that wildfires, which climate change is believed to have made more frequent, significantly contributed to air pollution over the past year.

The World Health Organization explained that ambient air pollution causes about 4.5 million premature deaths annually, while the 2024 report from the World Meteorological Organization highlighted severe pollution hotspots in areas that experienced extensive fires such as the Amazon Basin, Canada, Siberia, and Central Africa.

With changing weather patterns due to global warming largely caused by fossil fuel emissions, wildfires have become more frequent and widespread worldwide, increasing airborne particles alongside those from burning coal, oil, gas, wood, as well as transport and agricultural activities.

The organization confirmed in a statement that wildfires are one of the main sources of fine particulate pollution, expecting the problem to worsen as temperatures continue to rise, posing increasing risks to infrastructure, ecosystems, and human health.

Deputy Secretary-General of the organization, Ko Barrett, said that addressing climate change and air quality cannot be done separately, stressing the need to tackle both together to protect the planet, communities, and economies.

Although the report covers 2024, the organization noted that record-breaking fires that erupted this year in Southern Europe also contributed to increased pollution across the continent.

On the positive side, some indicators showed improvement, with particulate pollution levels declining in eastern China thanks to efforts to reduce emissions.