This year, till three days ago, registers 27 per cent less rural fires and 70 per cent less burned area in Portugal, compared to the average annual level of the past decade, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Action (MAAC) said.
So far, this year has recorded the third smallest number of fires and the fourth fewest burned area compared with the same period since 2013, the MAAC said on Sunday in a statement.
The Ministry attributes the improvement to the launch of the Integrated Management System for Rural Fires, Xinhua news agency reported.
According to data released by the Ministry, the government had invested greater in combatting rural fires before 2017 but now 50 per cent of the budget available is invested in fire prevention.
"The total investment more than doubled compared to the 2017 level," now reaching 500 million euros ($551.8 million), the MAAC added.
Chamoli avalanche: Death toll climbs to 7; rescue ops for one remaining worker underway
The death toll in the Chamoli avalanche in Uttarakhand's Mana region has reached seven, with the rescue officials pulling out three more bodies on Sunday. Meanwhile, the search operation for one missing worker is still ongoing.
U'khand avalanche: 4 killed, 50 rescued; CM Dhami oversees rescue ops
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Dhami received latest updates on the rescue operations from Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman and District Magistrate of Chamoli, Sandeep Tiwari, late in the evening.
Chamoli avalanche: 14 more workers rescued, search for remaining men continues
Rescue teams intensified their efforts on Saturday as they successfully pulled out 14 more workers trapped under heavy snow after a massive avalanche struck a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) camp near Mana village in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Friday morning.
Rain lashes several parts of national capital, Delhiites gets respite after warm February
Heavy rain lashed several parts of the national capital on Saturday, bringing relief to the Delhiites from the warm temperatures witnessed in the month of February. Parts of Haryana were also lashed by heavy rain.
Uttarakhand avalanche: CM Dhami visits disaster control room
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the disaster control room on Friday evening to assess the situation and directed officials to speed up the rescue operation in the state following the avalanche that trapped 52 Border Roads Organisation (BRO) workers.
Vultures provide ecosystem services worth $1.8 billion annually in southern Africa: Report
The ecosystem services provided by vultures in the southern African region, including sanitation and pest control, are estimated at $1.8 billion annually, according to a report launched in the Kenyan capital on Tuesday.
Earthquake of magnitude 5.1 hits Bay of Bengal, tremors felt in Kolkata
An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 on the Richter scale struck the Bay of Bengal early on Tuesday morning, with tremors being felt in Kolkata and several regions of West Bengal. According to the National Center for Seismology (NCS), the earthquake occurred at 6.10 a.m. at a depth of 91 kilometres.
Strong earthquake tremors shake Delhi-NCR, no casualties reported
According to the National Center for Seismology (NCS), the tremors, registering a magnitude of 4.0, were felt around 5:36 a.m. and had a depth of 5 kilometres.