Wildfires around the world have been identified as a major driver of worsening air pollution in 2025, according to the World Meteorological Organization’s latest Air Quality and Climate Bulletin.
The report shows that the Amazon basin experienced some of the sharpest increases in fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅), largely due to record wildfires and prolonged drought. Similar wildfire-linked pollution spikes were recorded in Canada, Siberia, central Africa, and parts of India. In contrast, some regions, including China, recorded declines in PM₂.₅ levels, reflecting progress in local pollution control measures.
The bulletin warns that climate change is intensifying wildfires by driving hotter, drier conditions, which in turn fuel more pollution. This creates a dangerous feedback loop: pollution contributes to global warming, while warming makes extreme events like wildfires more frequent and severe.
“Climate change and air quality cannot be addressed in isolation,” said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett. “They go hand-in-hand and must be tackled together to protect our planet, our communities and our economies.”
The WMO highlighted that tiny airborne particles from wildfires, urban emissions, shipping, and winter fog are increasingly shaping global pollution patterns. In South Asia, for example, high pollution levels have prolonged winter fog seasons, increasing health risks for millions.
While progress in some areas shows that air quality can be improved with strong policies, the report warns that without urgent global action, worsening wildfires and rising emissions will continue to endanger health, ecosystems, and infrastructure worldwide.
