Uncovering the Hydro‑meteorological Drivers Responsible for Forest Fires Utilizing Geospatial Techniques

Abstract

Forest fires have become a growing concern worldwide, with climate change exacerbating their frequency and intensity. In the Simlipal region of India, forest fires are relatively rare; however, in 2021, significant damage occurred in the buffer area’s forests. Understanding the driving factors behind these events is essential for developing effective management strategies. This study investigates the impact of hydro-meteorological conditions on forest fire causes in the Simlipal region by analyzing Terra climatic data and geo-statistics for the period of 1984 to 2021. Long-term trends were determined using non-parametric tests on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform. Our findings reveal that the maximum burned area location has a decreasing trend in Land Surface Temperature (LST), with a small portion (