India, April 30 -- Every year, thousands of wildfires erupt across the globe, consuming vast stretches and degrading ecosystems while releasing significant quantities of carbon into the atmosphere. In India, they pose a recurring and systemic challenge - one that leads to habitat fragmentation, loss of the genetic pool, including that of most domesticated plants and animals, and disruption of rural livelihoods. They undo conservation gains while undermining ecological stability across regions.

The economic implications of forest fires are equally severe. A 2025 study estimates that annual losses - including timber, non-timber forest products, and carbon sequestration - amount to nearly '1.74 lakh crore. Satellite-based monitoring by the ...