Natural disasters transformed into man-made catastrophes

China Daily | Updated: 2023-09-04 

Fire damage is seen in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Aug 21, 2023. [Photo/Agencies]

The wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, which were first spotted on Aug 8, lasted for more than 20 days. They resulted in the death of 115 people as of the end of August, with more than 300 people still missing and thousands more injured. The largest wildfire in the United States since 1918 has turned the former vacation paradise into a Hell on Earth.

Similarly, the wildfires in Canada have been raging for over four months. As of Aug 30, the total area affected by the fires exceeded 154,000 square kilometers, and the situation in 702 areas remains out of control. The carbon emissions from this disaster have reached 290 million metric tons, accounting for over one-quarter of the global emissions this year, and these numbers will keep rising as the fires continue.

The inadequate and slow responses from both the US and Canadian governments to these wildfires reveal institutional shortcomings and their callousness toward the well-being of people and the environment. This is ironic considering the two governments' claims in these areas.

Let's consider the Maui wildfires as an example. While drought and hurricanes were contributing factors to the disaster, the disorganized and sluggish response was the main reason why the wildfires were allowed to persist for so long, resulting in significant loss of life and property. It should be noted that Hawaii has top-of-the-line emergency monitoring and early warning systems.

Local residents have commented that the fires were left to burn themselves out. The wildfires have left people disillusioned with the government given its inability to handle the emergency. Nor should it be considered a coincidence that the wildfires largely spared the affluent neighborhoods on the island, concentrating their destruction in areas where lower-income communities reside.

The Joe Biden administration, which has acted quickly in the ongoing disaster relief work in the areas in Florida hit by Hurricane Idalia on Wednesday, has apparently learned some lessons from the Maui wildfires.

However, it remains a problem that the most powerful country in the world appears to have lost the ability to coordinate and allocate resources effectively in response to natural disasters. Furthermore, it is surprising that the more than 60,000 troops stationed in Hawaii from the US military did nothing to help during this extended period of time, ignoring the pleas of their neighbors.
The wildfires in the US and Canada were natural disasters that were transformed into man-made ones.