Stubble burning and wildfires in Turkey considering the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations

Abstract

There is a worldwide risk of fire spread due to the mismanagement of stubble in agricultural land. In 2019, 3.6% of the forest area was damaged by fires in Turkey due to stubble burning. The burning of agriculture residues negatively affects soil properties, air quality and water resources. This finally threatens humankind sustainability. However, there is a lack of information analyzing this problem from the current policies in Turkey. Therefore, this paper reviews the legislation currently applied to understand the specific competencies to achieve sustainable fire and forest management. A holistic analysis of the legal regulations and practices to prevent stubble burning in Turkey shown here the farmer´s perception of the use of fire as an agriculture tool and the relevance of stubble burning to explain the location and recurrence of wildfires. Then, we discussed the relevance to shed light on how effective are the laws to avoid stubble burning and its impact on the environment. We claim for an update of the legislation to allow the farmers to manage the stubble and encourage the policymakers to develop new strategies to compost the stubble and achieve sustainable management within the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations that will contribute to achieving the Land Degradation Neutrality Challenge.