Fire-smart solutions for sustainable wildfire risk prevention: Bottom-up initiatives meet top-down policies under EU green deal

International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 92, P. 103715 - 103715

Published: April 28, 2023

Fuel management for wildfire risk prevention generally lacks economic sustainability. In marginal areas of southern Europe, this limits fuel treatment programs from reaching the critical mass required treated area to modify landscape flammability, fire regime and its impacts. This study investigates key initiatives in EU countries. We compared local approaches through a bottom-up selection 38 initiatives, which we analyzed systematically set fire-smart criteria: sustainability, cost-benefit ratio, synergies inter-sectoral cooperation, integration between strategic planning multiple land governance goals (e.g., rural development, biodiversity conservation, energy supply), innovation knowledge transfer, adaptive management. summarized lessons learned most innovative by identifying solutions functional building sustainable at scale, under principles. These make synergistic use private, public European resources activate value chains that valorize products, by-products services generated activities their positive externalities on ecosystem services. The mechanisms include fire-marketing, Payment Ecosystem Services schemes, specific taxes, or environmental compensatory measures. catalyze interest stakeholders (economic actors, private owners, agencies) improving cost-efficiency contend Green Deal offers political backing framework (mainstreaming strategies funding opportunities) enable replication documented models prevention.

Language: Английский

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Quantifying the industrial development modes and their capability of realizing the ecological value in rural China

Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 203, P. 123386 - 123386

Published: April 14, 2024

Language: Английский

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Active governance of agro-pastoral, forest and protected areas mitigates wildfire impacts in Italy

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 890, P. 164281 - 164281

Published: May 20, 2023

Wildfire regimes affected by global change have been the cause of major concern in recent years. Both direct prevention (e.g., fuel management planning) and land governance strategies agroforestry development) can an indirect regulatory effect on wildfires. Herein, we tested hypothesis that active planning Italy mitigated wildfire impacts terms loss ecosystem services forest cover, burned wildland-urban interface, from 2007 to 2017. At national scale, assessed size potential fire drivers such as climate, weather, flammability, socio-economic descriptors, use changes, proxies for European funds rural development, investments sustainable management, agro-pastoral activities), including interactions, fire-related via Random Forest modelling Generalized Additive Mixed Model. Agro-forest districts (i.e., aggregations neighbouring municipalities with homogeneous agricultural characteristics) were used spatial units analysis. Our results confirm territories more show lower impacts, even under severe flammability climatic conditions. This study supports current regional, national, towards "fire resistant resilient landscapes" fostering agro-forestry, nature conservation integrated policies.

Language: Английский

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Governance drivers hinder and support a paradigm shift in wildfire risk management in Italy

Regional Environmental Change, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 24(1)

Published: Jan. 13, 2024

Abstract Fire is a fundamental social-ecological process, but combination of changing climate, land use and values at risk increasing the incidence large wildfires with high societal biodiversity impacts. Academic practitioner understanding now converging around need to manage fire as an outcome intersecting governance regimes, comprising geohistorically defined institutions decision-making pathways shaped by earlier wildfires. We investigate this proposition through case study Italy, country greatly affected wildfire characterised strong organisational, socio-cultural geographical variation nationally. To best our knowledge, first collecting analysing qualitative data on how different national sub-national procedures interrelate promote particular management strategies, support or impede adaptive change. Participants in key agencies were consulted across seven nationally representative regions. Findings show highly fragmented institutional structure, where policy responsibilities are increasingly allocated disparate organisations variety scales. Local stakeholder participation has been displaced shift extra-local actors networks. While formally committed adopting precautionary approach risk, practice, emergency response remains default choice, result patchy uncoordinated legislation. Notably, wider international (EU) regulatory context plays muted role governing present results novel action research agenda for Italy southern Europe more generally, emphasising urgent develop new anticipatory systems closer integration cross-scale arrangements.

Language: Английский

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Mapping the Most Susceptible Regions to Fire in Portugal

Fire, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 6(7), P. 254 - 254

Published: June 29, 2023

Mediterranean European countries, including Portugal, are considered fire-prone regions, being affected by fire events every summer. Nonetheless, Portugal has been recording large burned areas over the last 20 years, which not only strongly associated with hot and dry conditions, but also high fuel availability in ecosystems. Due to recent catastrophic seasons, implementing preventive policies during pre-fire season, which, turn, can optimize combat strategies season. In this context, our study contributes prevention identifying regions highest potential burn. The application of a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) range climatological, ecological, biophysical variables, either provided remote sensing or reanalysis products, known be linked diverse fire-vulnerability factors, allows objective identification susceptibility central southernmost present stronger signal PCA, suggesting likely exposure future events. accumulation several months, conjunction elevation weather terms out retained PCs that explain most variability. quality assessment performed for 2022 showed they occurred highly susceptible areas, highlighting usefulness proposed methodology.

Language: Английский

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Uncharted territory: governance opportunities for wildfire management and the case of Cyprus

International Journal of Wildland Fire, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 33(6)

Published: May 30, 2024

Global environmental and social change are pushing wildfire activity impact beyond known trajectories. Here, we conducted a targeted review to distill five challenges that argue form opportunities for their governance (research aim 1). We exemplified our arguments by drawing from the case of Cyprus 2), small island country in south-east European Mediterranean Basin at risk extreme impact. Findings indicate burning ecological resource benefits, innovative management paradigms anticipatory systems offer actionable solutions paradox limits suppression. Local adaptive institutions reconceptualisation as process technocratic interpretations necessary account broader conditions shaping regimes community Governance accommodate collective action have proven suitable address multiple complexities linked with different socio-economic values. A systematic literature review, policy qualitative data collection on track back initial framing. Our study offers insights tackling wildfires steps through overarching systems, illustrates potential thinking acting flammable landscapes globally.

Language: Английский

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Changing Conditions: Global Warming-Related Hazards and Vulnerable Rural Populations in Mediterranean Europe

Urban Science, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 8(2), P. 42 - 42

Published: April 25, 2024

Human-induced climate change has profound effects on extreme events, particularly those linked to global warming, such as heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires. These events disrupt ecosystems, emphasizing the imperative understand interactions among them gauge risks faced by vulnerable communities. Vulnerability levels vary primarily based a community’s resources. Rural areas, especially in Mediterranean region of Europe, are experiencing acute depopulation, creating complex situation affecting various aspects society, from economic declines cultural heritage loss. Population decline rural regions weakens resources, leading abandonment built environments, fostering desertification, elevating risk Communities undergoing this deterioration process become exceptionally vulnerable, when dealing with recovering natural phenomena. This review offers insights into dynamics these hazards predominant challenges areas. By focusing topic that received limited attention, aim is inform future research initiatives, ultimately improving assessment mitigation strategies for

Language: Английский

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Interpreting the shifts in forest structure, plant community composition, diversity, and functional identity by using remote sensing-derived wildfire severity

Fire Ecology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 20(1)

Published: Oct. 9, 2024

Abstract Background Wildfires are increasingly impacting ecosystems worldwide especially in temperate dry habitats, often interplaying with other global changes (e.g., alien plant invasions). Understanding the ecological consequences of wildfires is crucial for effective conservation and management strategies. The aim this study was to investigate impacts wildfire severity on community (both canopy trees herbaceous layer) invasion, combining field observations remotely sensed data. We conducted an observational Karst forests (North-East Italy) 1 year after large which affected area 2022. assessed impact through 35 plots (200 m 2 each) distributed among different fire (i.e., loss organic matter) classes using differenced normalized burn ratio (dNBR) calculated from satellite images. In each plot, tree species, diameter, vitality, resprouting capacity, seedling density were measured. addition, herb species richness (taxonomical diversity) quantified, cover visually estimated. Functional diversity also considering six functional traits retrieved databases. Results Some woody Quercus pubescens ) showed a higher resistance lower mortality rate), while others resilience recovery or seedlings, e.g., Cotinus coggygria ). transition shrub-dominated where highest underlines dynamic nature post-fire succession. detected significant variation composition, diversity, identity community-weighted mean trait) along gradient. particular, high-fire areas exhibited compared low-severity unburned areas. Total increased severity, native remained constant. found shifts that enhance related germination potential growth strategy. Conclusions Our results highlight vulnerability forest stands increase resulting structure. This contributes understanding processes novel remote sensing approach forest, emphasizing need strategies aimed at mitigating high wildfires.

Language: Английский

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Public funding constrains effective postfire emergency restoration in Portugal

Restoration Ecology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 31(3)

Published: July 28, 2022

In the last decades, fire regimes in Europe have changed toward an increased occurrence of extreme events with large burned areas and associated impacts. Portugal is one countries most affected by wildfires, extraordinary negative Postfire emergency stabilization important restoration practice to mitigate impacts short term. The present study aims improve understanding how public funding processes affect efficiency postfire Portugal. We analyzed process for 2009–2018 using data from reports assessing needs interventions (147), open calls resulting those (12), implementation projects subsidized (517). Our results show that available through responded assessed previous reports, but there was no (reports calls) many (37%) (>1,000 ha) 2009–2018. Furthermore, effectiveness limited financial model, lack eligibility relevant treatments, constant change criteria, slow decision‐making execution exceeds optimal timeframe. As a consequence, within timeframe halted insufficient capacity private beneficiaries. discuss effective mechanisms other suggest improvements

Language: Английский

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Bridging scales for landscape-level wildfire adaptation: A case study of the Kittitas Fire Adapted Communities Coalition

Journal of Environmental Management, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 351, P. 119818 - 119818

Published: Dec. 21, 2023

Language: Английский

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