Forest ecosystem management for forest fire risk reduction

The partner areas affected by the programme are highly exposed to the risk of fires and have a lot of tourists and plant fuel. The general abandonment of farming and animal husbandry has made the situation much worse; the forest area increased considerably and so did combustible material, while discontinuous areas and the resilience of ecosystems to the passage of fire decreased. New prevention actions need to focus on making forests safer and less susceptible to catching fire. Leading public choices in this direction will, therefore, be fundamental, hence the general objective of MED FORESTE to improve the capacity of public institutions to prevent and manage forest fire risk through experimentation, implementation and cross-border comparison of prevention interventions. The project plans for two types of pilot trials: 1) Cross-border comparison of fuel reduction strategies and socio-economic, environmental and financial sustainability 2) Forest fire prevention interventions carried out in strategic points, in connection with the strategic MED STAR project. The results of the first trial will produce a manual to support future fire prevention decisions, while the results of the second will be the prevention works carried out for the benefit of the population. The project’s scientific approach to the causes of forest fires and ways to handle them will be shared across borders, thus facing a common challenge with local experiments. Standardised systems will monitor and compare their effectiveness. Knowledge and dialogue will promote a new culture of fire prevention for the benefit of the population.