Surrey's heathlands are at particular risk of wildfire from late spring, particularly during prolonged dry periods, and the county has experienced increasing incidents in recent years, with fires on Ash Ranges and Chobham Common – both extremely valuable sites for nature - as well as this week’s blaze on Pirbright Ranges which is estimated to have affected over 500 hectares.

The Wildlife Trusts’ first climate risk assessment, Changing Nature, examines the impacts of the changing climate across their estate, which covers nearly 400 square miles.

The research finds that, by the 2050s, under a future warming trajectory that reaches 3°C warming by 2100:

• Almost all the Wildlife Trusts’ reserves will see more than 1°C increase on hot summer days by 2050
• 55% of reserves will see nearby river flows drop by more than 30% during times of low flow
• Half of The Wildlife Trusts’ nature reserves will have 30+ days of very high fire risk yearly

James Herd, Director of Reserves Management at Surrey Wildlife Trust said:

“Every wildfire is a potential tragedy for nature, and it is deeply concerning that a changing climate is putting Surrey’s habitats at greater risk. We need more ambitious and urgent action from government, businesses and individuals to reduce the risk and impact of further warming. 

“With the incidence of wildfires rising, it’s more important than ever to take care when visiting our nature reserves.  Please dispose of all litter properly and any smoking equipment safely, remind children of the serious risk of fire, and take a picnic rather than a barbeque.”

The Wildlife Trusts want to see increased effort from governments, business, and other landowners on climate adaptation, including greater investment in nature-based solutions and a specific focus on resilience.

Kathryn Brown, director of climate change and evidence for The Wildlife Trusts says:

“Climate change is contributing more and more to nature’s decline with devastating consequences for people and wildlife. We are already stepping-up our efforts to restore habitats so that they benefit wildlife and are better able to store carbon. Our report also shows the range of actions we are taking to help nature adapt to climate change and what’s needed in the future – from further rewetting of peatlands to backing community-led rewilding projects.

“The projected impact of climate change on our nature reserves is just the tip of the iceberg. We need people to join us in creating a new national vision for our landscapes because we can no longer focus only on restoring nature to a historical state; change is inevitable.

“A concerted effort is required to create more space for nature everywhere, enabling natural ecosystems to function properly, creating habitats for wildlife, and building diversity and flexibility for the future.”

The findings come at a time when the UK is already one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. Wildfires have destroyed valuable and rare habitats, affecting the availability of food for wildlife, and costing huge amounts of time and money. Flooding has impacted wildlife, damaged infrastructure, and increased river pollution, and droughts have lowered the water table on wetland nature reserves, dried out chalk streams and peat bogs, and concentrated pollution in rivers.