ScienceColonisation created ‘catastrophic wildfire loop’ that raises bushfire risk in parts of Australia, study finds

Researchers working with the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation reconstructed 1,000 years of vegetation and fire history around a lake in Gippsland, Victoria. They found that land shifting from open woodland to dense forest after 1788 led to more intense fires, consistent with the loss of cultural burning and the removal of Gunaikurnai people from their land. The study’s lead author said it supports integrating Indigenous knowledge into modern fire management.

wildfiresIndigenous land managementcultural burningAustralia

TThe Guardian★★★☆☆2026-10-07 15:00Original