Forest fires: a complex issue necessitating international cooperation
Forest fires across Europe, North America and the Russian Federation this
summer have attracted public attention due to the number of victims, the intensity
of the fires, the areas devastated, the environmental damage and the loss
of property. Fire risk has attained unusually high levels as a direct consequence
of this summer’s extreme weather conditions: heat and drought over long periods.
Ecological damage (erosion, etc) has also been severe.
It is still too early to analyse in depth the damage of the
2003 fire season. However, in some European countries the area of fires is
already much higher than the average area recorded during the last decade.
In Europe, some relevant data, as yet approximate and not validated, are set
out below.
|
Europe |
2003, January to date
(estimates) - ha |
2002, whole year
ha |
1980-2002 average
ha |
|
Portugal |
417 000 |
123 910 |
93 981 |
|
France |
54 000 |
20 850 |
29 711 |
|
Spain |
99 863 |
86 426 |
191 400 |
|
Italy |
58 902 |
40 768 |
121 982 |
In North America, information to date is as follows:
|
North America |
2003, January to date
ha |
2002, whole year
ha |
|
Canada |
1 510 364 |
2 657 040 |
|
United States |
2 888 738 |
1 706 514 |
In the Russian Federation large fires have swept the southern and eastern
regions of the country causing major damage. The area burned at the end of
August 2003 is already twice as high as the total area burned in 2002. Over
80,000 ha have been burnt in Kazakhstan.
|
|
2003, January to date
ha |
Total 2002
ha |
|
Russian Federation |
23 710 000 |
11 700 000 |
The causes of the fires, and of the damage they cause, vary
widely and are both social and ecological in nature. Prevention and control
strategies address public awareness, repression of crime, silvicultural cleaning
measures to reduce the fuel load, and economic incentives for appropriate
management measures, as well as effective fire suppression. In all cases,
hot and dry weather conditions can make the severity of fires much worse.
The existence of habitations in endangered areas complicates the task of fire
fighters and increases damage to property. In all cases, political will over
long periods is necessary to make long term improvements.
Prevention and fire control measures in all countries during
the past decades have significantly contributed to reduce fire damage. However,
under exceptional weather conditions as is the case this year, although national
fire-fighting services have accomplished the outmost at the risk of their
lives, damage is significantly greater.
There is still scope for increased international cooperation,
which has developed strongly over recent years. This involves not only exchange
of personnel and equipment (for instance several southern hemisphere fire
teams have been helping in North America this year, and extra fire suppression
planes and helicopters have been brought to the Mediterranean region), but
also exchange of experience, to improve tactics, strategy and policy.
For instance:
The FAO/ECE/ILO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire, Silva
Mediterranea , the Government of Spain and the Centre International de Hautes
Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes (CIHEAM) organized a workshop
on Multilateral Assistance against Forest Fires in Zaragoza, Spain in June
2003, with the aim of developing new procedures to facilitate border crossing
in fire emergencies. Because of the workshop deliberations and recommendations
the government of Spain was better able to assist both Portugal and France
in combating fires in July-August 2003.
The third International Wildland Fire Conference and the
first International Wildland Fire Summit, in Sydney, Australia in October
this year will address issues such as Developing Global/Regional Fire Capacity,
International Fire Support Arrangements-Needs and Solutions and Climate Change.
The FAO/ECE/ILO Committee on Forest Technology, Management
and Training will hold a Conference on Forest Fire Management and International
Cooperation in Fire Emergencies in the Eastern Mediterranean, Balkans and
adjoining Regions of the Near East and Central Asia, in Turkey from 29 March
to 3 April 2004. A multinational fire-fighting exercise with ground and aerial
fire fighting forces of two or more countries will be held at the same occasion.
ECE/FAO, with its partners, services the Joint FAO/ECE/ILO
Committee and its team of specialists on forest fire, which also contributes
to the International Strategy on Disaster Reduction, as well as collecting
regular statistics. ECE/FAO publishes twice a year, International Forest Fire
News (IFFN) which is intended to enhance the exchange of information on wildland
fire management and related sciences. IFFN is an activity of the team of specialists
and of the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC). Copies may be obtained on
request from the secretariat.
For more information, visit the following web sites:
- Global Fire Monitoring Center (with near real time information on major
fires, including information on international agreements and procedures for
cooperation in fire management emergencies): http://www.fire.uni-freiburg.de/
- ECE/FAO International Forest Fire News (IFFN): # International Forest Fire News
- Timber Committee web site (statistics): http://www.unece.org/trade/timber/ff-stats.html
- FAO/ECE/ILO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire:
http://www.fire.uni-freiburg.de/intro/about2.html
- FAO (global picture, international background):
http://www.fao.org/forestry/foris/webview/forestry2/index.jsp?siteId=4021&langId=1
- Third International Wildland Fire Conference, in Sydney, Australia:
http://www.wildlandfire03.com/
- International Wildland Fire Summit, in Sydney, Australia:
http://www.fire.uni-freiburg.de/summit-2003/introduction.htm
- FAO/ECE/ILO Conference on Forest Fire Management and International Cooperation
in Fire Emergencies in the Eastern Mediterranean, Balkans and adjoining Regions: http://www.unece.org/trade/timber/docs/jc-sem/sem-55/sem-55.htm
Further information may be obtained by contacting
Jorge Najera
Timber Branch
UNECE Trade Development and Timber Division
Palais des Nations
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: +41 (0) 22 917 3240
Fax: +41 (0) 22 917 0041
E-mail: [email protected]
Ref: ECE/TIM/03/N01