Review of Science and Technical Progress from the Perspective of Wildland Fire / Wildfire Risk

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Review of Science and Technical Progress from the
Perspective of Wildland Fire / Wildfire Risk

• Preparatory Workshop on Science and Technology
  for the Global Platform for Disaster Risk
  Reduction Third Session
• Pavia, Italy, 5-6 April 2011

Johann G. Goldammer Global Fire Monitoring Center
/ Global Wildland Fire Network Nikola
Nikolov Regional Southeast Europe / Caucasus Fire
Monitoring Center and Wildland Fire Network
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Wildland Fire / Wildfire Risk

• Wildland Fire
• Any fire occurring on wildland regardless of
  ignition sources, damages or benefits
• Wildland
• Vegetated and non-vegetated land in which
  development is essentially non-existent, except
  for roads, railroads, powerlines, and similar
  transportation facilities structures, if any,
  are widely scattered. In fire management
  terminology this general term includes all
  burnable vegetation resources including managed
  forests and forest plantations
• Wildfire
• Any unplanned and uncontrolled wildland fire
  which regardless of ignition source may require
  suppression response, or other action according
  to agency policy

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Wildland Fire / Wildfire Risk

• Major science and technical advancements and
  innovations Global partners, review processes
  and mechanisms in the 5 HFA areas
• Global Networking, Cooperation and Coordination
  The Global Wildland Fire Network (HFA1)
• Global Fire Monitoring The Global Global
  Observation of Forest and Land Cover Dynamics
  (GOFC-GOLD) and Global Fire Monitoring Center
  (GFMC) (HFA2)
• Early Warning and Preparedness The Global
  Wildland Fire Early Warning System (HFA2)
• Education, Advocacy and Awareness
  Community-based Fire Management (CBFiM) (HFA3)
• Reducing Wildfire Risk Integrated Fire
  Management (HFA4)
• Preparing for Response Internationally agreed
  Standard Operating Procedures based on bilateral
  or multilateral agreements / protocols (HFA5)

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Global Networking, Cooperation and Coordination
The Global Wildland Fire Network
(HFA1) Progress - 15 Regional Wildland Fire
Networks established - thereof 1 multilateral /
legal (ASEAN) 14 voluntary networks with a
number of bilateral agreements embedded in
regions 1 networking mechanism in the European
Union - Increasing visibility and political
recognition Major gaps - Still lacking
national and international fire management
policies - Lack of political and financial
commitment
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Global Networking, Cooperation and Coordination
The Global Wildland Fire Network (HFA1)
The Regions of the UNISDR Global Wildland Fire
Network North America Mesoamerica South
America Caribbean Mediterranean Near East
Southeast Europe / Caucasus Subsahara Africa
South Asia Southeast Asia Australasia
Northeast Asia Central Asia Eurasia
Euro-Alpine
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Global Fire Monitoring The Global Global
Observation of Forest and Land Cover Dynamics
(GOFC-GOLD) and Global Fire Monitoring Center
(GFMC) (HFA2) Progress - The science,
instruments, algorithms, models and communication
networks for global fire assessments and
operational support are in place Major gaps
- Lack of international financial commitments
to transit from models / prototypes to
operational systems, which are meeting the
demands of science (fire, atmosphere, climate)
and fire management (operational support)
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Global Fire Monitoring The Global Global
Observation of Forest and Land Cover Dynamics
(GOFC-GOLD) and Global Fire Monitoring Center
(GFMC) (HFA2)
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• Early Warning and Preparedness The Global
  Wildland Fire Early Warning System (HFA2)
• Methodology for a Global Fire EWS is in place

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• Early Warning and Preparedness The Global
  Wildland Fire Early Warning System (HFA2)
• Methodologies of Regional to local Fire EWS are
  in place

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• Early Warning and Preparedness The Global
  Wildland Fire Early Warning System (HFA2)
• Progress
• - The science and technology for fire early
  warning (3-14 days) and for modeling (months,
  years, decades) are in place
• Major gaps
• - Lack of international financial commitments to
  transit from models / prototypes to operational
  systems, which are meeting the demands of science
  (fire, atmosphere, climate) and fire management
  (operational support)

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• Education, Advocacy and Awareness
  Community-based Fire Management (CBFiM) (HFA3)
• Progress
• - The fire management community globally has set
  priorities on community-based, participatory
  approaches in fire management (involvement of
  those who are using fire, often are causing
  wildfires, and are affected by wildfires and
  needing advice for environmentally safe burning
  practices)
• Major gaps
• - Most countries are following traditional,
  centralized (government-agencies focused, often
  paramilitary) methods of fire exclusion and
  control

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• Education, Advocacy and Awareness
  Community-based Fire Management (CBFiM) (HFA3)

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• Reducing Wildfire Risk Integrated Fire
  Management (HFA4)
• In some ecosystems natural and prescribed
  management fires are essential components of
  ecosystem dynamics and contribute to the
  reduction of wildfires of high severities

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• Reducing Wildfire Risk Integrated Fire
  Management (HFA4)
• Progress
• - The fire ecology and science-based methods of
  managing fire (integration of natural fire, use
  of prescribed fire and fire exclusion, where
  appropriate) are explored for most vegetation
  types and are available for technical transfer to
  any country
• Major gaps
• - The majority of countries are still following
  traditional, centralized (government-agencies
  focused, often paramilitary) methods of fire
  exclusion / control

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Preparing for response Internationally agreed
Standard Operating Procedures based on bilateral
or multilateral agreements / protocols
(HFA5) Multilateral agreements / mechanisms in
place - Association of South East Asian
Nations (ASEAN) Agreement on Transboundary
Haze Pollution - European Union The Civil
Protection Mechanism
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• Preparing for response Internationally agreed
  Standard Operating Procedures based on bilateral
  or multilateral agreements / protocols (HFA5)
• Multilateral agreements / mechanisms in
  preparation
• - UNECE Regional Conference on Cross-boundary
• Fire Management (to be hosted by the United
• Nations in 2011)
• - Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
• initiative on transboundary cooperation in fire
  management (2010-2012)

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• Preparing for response Internationally agreed
  Standard Operating Procedures based on bilateral
  or multilateral agreements / protocols (HFA5)
• Bilateral agreements / mechanisms
• - Within North America
• - Russian Federation and neighbouring countries
• - Several European countries
• - Between U.S.A., Canada, Australia, New
  Zealand Set of bilateral agreements that are
  compatible and thus have a quasi multilateral
  character. All countries using the common
  Incident Command System (ICS), which allows
  exchange of personnel and securing
  inter-operability in managing wildfire disasters

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• Preparing for response Internationally agreed
  Standard Operating Procedures based on bilateral
  or multilateral agreements / protocols (HFA5)
• Examples of themes for international cooperation
  (I)
• (1) The International Fire Aviation Working
  Group (IFAWG)
• Mission Statement
• Identify and facilitate opportunities for
  multilateral communication and cooperation to
  improve the safety, efficiency and effectiveness
  of aerial fire management

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• Preparing for response Internationally agreed
  Standard Operating Procedures based on bilateral
  or multilateral agreements / protocols (HFA5)
• Examples of themes for international cooperation
  (II)
• (2) Fire Management on contaminated terrain
• - Re-distribution of radioactivity
• - Collateral damages during armed conflicts
• - Heritages of armed conflicts (Unexploded
  Ordnance, land mines)

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• Preparatory Workshop on Science and Technology
  for the Global Platform for Disaster Risk
  Reduction Third Session
• Pavia, Italy, 5-6 April 2011

Thanks for your attention On behalf of the
UNISDR Wildland Fire Advisory Group / Global
Wildland Fire Network