Location: Argentina, Río Negro province, Nahuel Huapi National Park
Credit: Pablo Alcorta Briganti
Initiative: Belmont Forum CRAs (ALP 2026)
Project: Ngen – Mawida
Story: A flank of the Los Manzanos wildfire, sparked by a lightning strike, advances through the night in a remote area of Nahuel Huapi National Park. One of the effects of climate change in northwestern Argentine Patagonia is the increased frequency of thunderstorms in the summer, coinciding with the wildfire season.
Although the majority of fires are associated with human activities, recently, fires caused by lightning are generating the largest burned areas.
The temperate forests of this region, which due to their characteristics are unique biogeographic islands in biodiversity, evolved with fire regimes very different from those of today. Species find it very difficult to recover after such disturbances. This poses a challenge for restoration, requiring the development of strategies to evolve into more resilient forests adapted to current and future conditions.