Fire is reshaping one of Africa's most important wildlife landscapes

Using data collected by NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), a satellite system that scans the Earth's surface every one to two days, fire activity across the region was tracked between 2001 and 2023. The results revealed a landscape under growing pressure. On average, more than 21,000 square kilometres (8,100 square miles) burn across KAZA every year, an area larger than Rwanda.

Fire has always been part of African ecosystems. Many habitats evolved alongside it, and when it occurs at the right time and intensity, it can play an important ecological role. What is concerning is how often fires are occurring, how much land they are affecting, and the increasing role of human activity in driving them.

A landscape under growing pressure

Over the past two decades, fire frequency across KAZA increased by 34%, while forest cover declined by 18%. Today, only 42% of the landscape remains intact woodland. In many places, repeated burning is reducing the ability of forests and woodlands to recover, leaving behind more degraded and less resilient habitats.

What makes this analysis particularly powerful is that it is based on direct observations rather than projections. The satellite record allows changes across the landscape to be tracked year after year, revealing patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed.

The reality may be even more concerning. Dr Pieter Oliver of M.A.P. Scientific Services, who reviewed the findings independently, notes that satellite records are likely capturing only part of the picture.

"The IFAW analysis likely underestimates the true scale of fires," he explains. "Satellite data cannot detect many small fires, which are common in African landscapes due to activities like farming and land clearing. Higher-resolution imagery captures about 75% more fire events than broader datasets capture."

In other words, while the long-term trends identified in the analysis are clear, the actual extent of fire activity across the landscape may be even greater than current records suggest.

What's driving the fires

One of the clearest findings from the study is that people are at the centre of this story.

Nearly 70% of fires across KAZA can be linked to human activities such as agricultural clearing, grazing management, and charcoal production. Agricultural burning alone accounts for around one-third of all fires, while charcoal production contributes a further 18%.

These activities support livelihoods across the region. For many rural communities, fire remains one of the most accessible and affordable tools for managing land and natural resources. The challenge comes when fires spread beyond their intended boundaries or occur too frequently for ecosystems to recover.

This distinction matters. The issue is not simply about reducing fire, but about helping communities manage it more safely and sustainably. As demand for land and energy grows, solutions will need to work alongside people, recognising both their needs and their role as stewards of the landscapes they call home.