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

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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) Wildland Fire / Wildfire Risk

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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)

7. Global Fire Monitoring: The Global Global Observation of Forest and Land Cover Dynamics (GOFC-GOLD) and Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) (HFA2)

8. Early Warning and Preparedness: The Global Wildland Fire Early Warning System (HFA2) Methodology for a Global Fire EWS is in place 12 January 2010

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

10. 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)

11. 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”

12. Education, Advocacy and Awareness: Community-based Fire Management (CBFiM) (HFA3)

13. 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

14. 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”

15. 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

16. 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)

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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)

20. 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