WORKING GROUP ON FOREST FIRES

IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION

Enlarged Executive Committee

SILVA MEDITERRANEA

Hammamet, Tunisia, 3-4 December 2013

BACKGROUND

ESTABLISHED as working group in 2002 (18th Session of Silva Mediterranea, Rome)

ROLE: Facilitate information exchanges on experiences, both successes and failures

BACKGROUND

GOAL: Forest fires prevention through SFM practices at local level, building forest resilience at landscape level (in a context of Climate Change)

TOOLS: National Focal Points to raise awareness of the common problems in a common framework

MEMBERS OF SILVA MEDITERRANEA:

28 Countries and the EU

FOCAL POINTS FFWG: 16 countries and the EU

(Europe, Near East, North Africa)

SECRETARIAT: FAO

CHAIR: SPAIN and TURKEY

BACKGROUND

Work plan 2009-2012: OBJECTIVES

1: Updating the FFWG network

2: Promoting the incorporation of all Mediterranean countries to

EFFIS

3: Promoting initiatives of prevention at local level

4: Promoting bilateral agreements between countries for joint

actions on border areas and cooperation in suppression activities

5: Promoting the participation in the FAO Fire Management Actions

Alliance of all Mediterranean countries

Work plan 2009-2012: MAIN RESULTS-Workshops:

- FF prevention and regional cooperation, Sabaudia, 2008

- FF Risks and Strategies for prevention, Rhodes, 2010

- Extension of EFFIS for the MENA countries, Rabat, 2011

- MFW, Avignon, 2011:

- Agenda of the collaboration with EFFIS

- POSITION PAPER ON WILDFIRES PREVENTION (presented South

Africa May 2011, published October 2011)

Main results 2009-2012: planned activities FFWG network contacts updated

Near east network integrated

MENA countries incorporated to EFFIS

Inventory of existing suppression agreetments, presented at the Global Wildfire Network of the UNISDR

Highlights the importance of using the FAO Fire Management Voluntary Guidelines

Planned activities for the period 2012-2013 Dissemination and promotion of the Position Paper

Implement the conclusions of the rabat workshop related with the EFFIS extension to the MENA countries

(focal points designation, training on cause investigation, regular attendance to the EC EG meetings)

Elaboration of WORK PLAN FOR 2013-2016

WORK PLAN 2013-2016 : objectives

1. FFWG network

2. Forest Fire Prevention

3. Forest Fire Supression

4. Others

O1. FFWG NETWORK

Maintaining the contacts updated at the Silvamediterranea website

Reinforce collaboration with the Forest Fire Expert Group (European Commission)

Collaborate with other Mediterranean regions (Australia, Chile, South Africa, State of California)

O2. FOREST FIRE PREVENTION

Promoting forest fire causes investigation and training

Elaboration of prescribed burning guidelines in the Mediterranean

Promote forest fires awareness and Community Based Fire Management (CBFiM) initiatives

Continue promoting the application and extension of EFFIS to all Mediterranean Basin countries

O3. FOREST FIRE SUPRESSION

Promote the adoption of the Incident Command System (ICS) in the Mediterranean

Promote the adoption of FAO Voluntary Guidelines on Fire Management

Promote forest fires accidents investigations and exchange of lessons learned Promote bilateral/multilateral agreements between countries

O4. OTHERS

Dynamize Silvamediterranea web page regarding activities of the WG1

Preparation of the forest fire chapter of the State of Mediterranean Forests

NEEDS

MORE IMPLICATION AND INPUTS OF THE NATIONAL FOCAL POINTS

REACH THE APPROPIATED DECISION MAKERS FORUMS

AIM

SILVA MED AND ITS WG: Forum to develop the mediterranean forest policy

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

http://www.fao.org/forestry/35587/en/

Elsa Enríquez AlcaldeSpanish Forest Fire Service

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environmenteenriquez@magrama.es