International Seminar on Integrated Fire Management (IFM)Results of the Cerrado Jalapão Project

Brasilia, Brazil – 21-23 November 2017

Cross-cutting Issues in Integrated Fire Management:

Commonalities and Lessons identified at the Science-

Policy interface in South America, SE Asia and Europe

Johann Georg Goldammer

Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC)

&

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Global Fire History

In Recollection of our Discussions in Brasilia 2015

We discussed fundamental commonalities

between regions of the World

History of Fire Use

From stone age to late medieval land use and cultivation

Formation of open cultural landscapes of high productivity

and “low flammability”

European and Brazilian

Fire History

We found fundamental commonalities

between Brazil and Europe

European Fire History:

16th – 18th Century

Land clearing and land-use systems

involving fire, e.g.

Slash-and-burn agriculture

Moor burning

Pasture / heathland burning

Example Mato Grosso: Xingú Anthropological Fire History

Second Xingú Expedition – Karl von Steinen – 1887-1888

The Xingú “fire fan”

Could we possibly learn and

“extrapolate” from fire history?

Landscape fire ecology of Central Brasil

First Modern Cerrado Jalapão Fire Expedition – 2013

Landscape fire ecology of Central Brasil

First Modern Cerrado Jalapão Fire Expedition – 2013

Photo: J. Prüter

Landscape fire ecology in Central Europe

The Lunenburg Heath

Historic records of fire

Landscape fire ecology in Central Europe

Hiddensee Island (Baltic Sea)

Land-use abandonment:

Bush and tree encroachment

in protected areas

First Introduction of modern approaches in the use of prescribed fire:

Zschorno Heath, Brandenburg (2002)

Zschornoer Heide, BrandenburgFirst Introduction of modern approaches in the use of prescribed fire:

Zschorno Heath, Brandenburg (2002)

Successful halting of invasion of Betula spp.

Drover Heide, NRW

Successful regeneration of endangered

Calluna vulgaris

Drover Heide, NRW

Views from Africa

From Tanzania (Serengeti National Park) to

South Africa (Kruger National Park)

Park managers set fires in National Parks to keep grasslands

from undergoing succession and becoming savannas or

woodlands. Fires like this are part of the ecology of these

ecosystems of high faunistic carrying capacity.

Savanna Fire in Africa

Regular occurrence of fire in savanna ecosystems:

> Important for maintaining openness, productivity

and carrying capacity for wildlife and domestic

livestock

Consequence of fire exclusion (after 35 years) …..

Fire ecology research in Africa

Fire emissions research in Africa

Practical application of prescribed fire for conservation and wildfire hazard reduction

South-East Asia

First Attempts introducing Principles of

Integrated Fire Management

Thailand and Viet Nam: From uncontrolled burning to

prescribed fire management in pine and dry

dipterocarp forests Viet Nam

Thailand and Viet Nam: From uncontrolled burning to

prescribed fire management in pine and dry

dipterocarp forests Thailand

Central-Eastern Eurasia

Initiation of the Science-Policy Dialogue

in 1991

Breakthrough 2012-13

Trans-Baikal Region (SE Russia)

May 2003

Sustainable management and protection of forest resources are

key elements of European forest policies

For more than a century the complete elimination of fires in

forests of Russia was the primary goal of the forest

protection system

The War on Fire –

History or to Continue?

Fire Ecology of Central and Eastern Eurasian Forests:

Natural fires are a key factor in the history of forest

ecosystems – and must be considered in the development of

Fire Management Policies

Fire Research:

The Fire Research Campaign Asia – North (FIRESCAN)

Dendrochronology – Reconstruction of the history of regular

fire occurrence and the formation of forest stands

Learning from Nature

In the forest ecosystems of the Light Taiga – dominated by Pinus

and Larix spp. – recurrent surface fires of low intensity remove

combustible materials and result in an overall reduction of the

risk of severe and large destructive fires.

Instead of uncontrolled “Prophylactic”

high-severity stand- surface fires burning

replacement wildfires “under prescription”

Krasnoyarsk 2012:

Prescribed burning

Demonstration

Krasnoyarsk – 2012 / 2013

Round Tables: Development of recommendations for a

future fire management policy for Russia

The Krasnoyarsk 10-Point Programme on the

Future of Fire Management in Russia (I)

The Round Table concluded that there is an urgent need to revise the

policy and practice of fire management in the Russian Federation, and

agreed upon the following recommendations:

Legal and other normative documents that are regulating forest

management and forest fire protection need to be complemented

concerning the use of prescribed fires and prophylactic burning

under forest canopy.

Methodological guidelines for prescribed burning under forest

canopy need to be developed at federal level.

Programs of advanced continuous professional education for

foresters on prescribed burning need to be developed and

approved.

First Regional Central

Asia Training Course

2008 (Mongolia)

First Undergraduate

Student Training 2015

(Mongolia)

Ukraine 2014-15: First

Demonstration &

Training

Forest Fire Management Zones of RussiaTotal Forested Area Covered: 1.1402 billion ha

Forest Fire Management by Ground Forces – 72.7 million ha

Forest Fire Management by Aerial Resources – 477.3 million ha

Forest Fire Monitoring and Management Zone – 590.2 million ha

The Negative Side of Fire:

Agricultural Burning

A major source of harmful emissions and

uncontrolled wildfires affecting protected

areas

Transport of Fire Emissions to the European Arctic

Satellite images courtesy of Norwegian Meteorological Institute

Black Carbon deposits

on the Artic Environment

Aerial photo of the Greenland ice sheet surface from mid-August, 2005.

The dark areas are concentrations of light absorbing impurities. This example the impurities are some combination of dust, soot, and microbial activity.

Credit: Jason Box, Ohio State University

Press release @ AGU, 07 Dec 2012

Large-scale pasture / wildland burnings – common

practice all over temperate-boreal Eurasia

Xandzari, Georgia, 17.06.2013

The Approach of the Environment and Security

(ENVSEC) Initiative Project in the South

Caucasus to meet national and local demands

Combination of:

the „Top Down Approach“ through the national

policy dialogue

the “Bottom-up Approach” by capacitating

local rural communities

Example Georgia

Participation and capacitating local

rural communities in the safe use of

fire

New Challenges (I)

In most countries of Europe landscape fire regimes are

changing due to

Land-use change – associated with rural exodus and

abandonment of the rural space

Consequently, reduced land cultivation resulting in

increasing flammability of rural landscapes

New Challenges (II)

In most countries of Europe landscape fire impacts

increasing due to

Weather extremes associated with regional climate

change (increasing severity and duration of droughts)

Increasing vulnerability of society to fires affecting

rural and peri-urban settlements

Cross-sectoral dimension of fire management (I)

All over Europe wildfires and land-use fires affect the

intermix of natural and cultural landscapes

Natural ecosystems: Forests and other protected areas

Agricultural and pasture lands

Farms, villages and suburbs

Infrastructures (incl. critical infrastructures), traffic

Waste deposits and otherwise contaminated lands

Cross-sectoral dimension of fire management (II)

Therefore fires are burning within the sectoral

responsibilities of land owners:

Typically responsible agencies

Natural ecosystems: Forests – Forest Service

and other protected areas – Park Service

Agricultural and pasture lands Ministry of Agriculture

Farms, villages and suburbs – Ministry of Interior

Critical infrastructures – Crisis Management

Air pollution – Public Health

Waste deposits and otherwise contaminated lands –

Ministry Environment

Military terrain – Ministry for Defence

Cross-sectoral dimension of fire management (III)

International / Transboundary Issues: Bilateral and

international agreements / protocols / mechanisms (I)

Border-crossing fires: Bilateral agreements at national

and Departmental / Provincial levels

Border-crossing fire smoke transport affecting human

health (on site): Bilateral agreements

Long-distance transport of fire emissions: UNECE

Convention for Lang-Range Transboundary Air

Pollution (CLRTAP)

The Landscape Fire Triangle

Determining Factors in a Changing Global Environment

Climate

Change

Greenhous Gas

Emissions

Socio-Economic &

Political “Heat”

Policies: National &

International

Land Use (Change)

The Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC)

and the Global Wildland Fire Network

Established in 1998 the GFMC is serving as a global

facility for vegetation fire documentation and analysis

and serves as:

- Provider of scientific and technical advice to

governments, regional entities and international

organizations, notably the UN, for the development

of policies and strategies – aiming to

Reduce the negative impacts of fire on the

environment and humanity, and

Promote the safe and benign use of fire in

ecosystem and land management

The Global Wildland Fire Network (launched in 2001)

14 Regional Wildland Fire Networks

The Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC)

and the Global Wildland Fire Network

Starting in 2010 the FMC began to decentralize and

building regional centers of excellence to:

Build regional documentation and information

system

Strengthen regional cooperation in fire

science & management

Serve as a “Science-Policy-Practitioners

Interface” (SPPI)

Establishment of Regional Fire Monitoring /

Fire Management Resource Centers

2010-2013: Establishment of the first Regional

Fire Monitoring Centers for Southeast Europe /

Caucasus Region (Skopje, FYR Macedonia) and

Eastern Europe (Kyiv, Ukraine)

2015: Regional Fire Management Resource

Center in Central Asia (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia)

2017: Establishment of Regional Fire

Management Resource Centers in SE Asia (Bogor,

Indonesia), Russia (Krasnoyarsk) and South

America (with 2 nodes in Gurupí [Brazil] and

Santiago [Chile])

Functions of “Regional Fire Monitoring Centers” (RFMC) /

Regional Management Resource Centers” (RFMRC) (I)

A RFMC / RFMRC is serving as a regional open fire

information repository / hub:

Public provision (online and on request) of all

information relevant to vegetation fires, e.g.,

- Conventional databases, statistics

- Scientific and technical literature, narratives, reports

(often / mainly grey literature and report that normally

are difficult to impossible to accessible)

Science-Policy-Practitioners Interface

Provision of an instrument in the region that will serve the

need to bring wildland fire and related sciences into an

understandable format to policy makers and

practitioners

Functions of “Regional Fire Monitoring Centers” (RFMC) /

Regional Management Resource Centers” (RFMRC) (I)

Example the Fire Management Resource Center – South

America Region (FMRC-SAR) Gurupí:

Functions of “Regional Management Resource Centers”

(RFMRC) (II)

Monitoring and information dissemination

Through partner institutions delivering information /

monitoring

- Fire precursors (fire early warning, fire danger rating)

- Active fires (ongoing fires, current situation)

- Fire impacts (area burned, fire damage, human health

& security)

Example:

The Global Wildland Fire

Early Warning System

and National – see INPE system

Functions of “Regional Management Resource Centers”

(RFMRC) (IV)

Advisory support to nations and to the regional

organizations:

- Development and implementation of fire management

policies

- Support of participating countries of the region to

develop informal or formal agreements / protocols for

cross-boundary cooperation in fire management

International nexus: Regional and global networking

RFMRCs support Regional Wildland Fire Networks and

ensure inputs of regional interests in the Global Wildland

Fire Network

Activities 2016-17 (I)

South East Asia – Indonesia (2016-2017)

Development of a concept for the establishment of a

Regional Vegetation Fire and Smoke Pollution Warning

and Advisory System (VFSP-WAS)

Establishment of the Regional Fire Management

Resource Center – South East Asia Region (July 2017)

Interaction between two Regional Centers in South East

Asia: Collaborative efforts between WMO and GFMC

Cooperation between thematic Regional Centers:

Smoke Forecasting & Early Warning and Fre Management Resource Center

Activities 2016-17 (II)

Brazil and South America (2016-2017)

Regional Seminar between scientists practitioners and

policy makers (Gurupí, Tocantins, November 2016):

Opening of the Environmental Monitoring and Fire

Management Center (Gurupí, Tocantins, November

2016)

This Center is now also serving as the Regional Fire

Management Resource Center for South America

together with CONAF (Chile) (October 2017)

Achievements since 2004: Initiation of

Regional Cooperation in Fire Management:

The Regional South America Wildland Fire

Network

Regional South American and

Inter-regional cooperation with

the Networks of Central

America and the Caribbean

Activities 2016-17 (III)

In recognition of the need to enhance preparedness and

interoperability of South American countries for fire

emergency situations

First Regional Consultation on Cross-boundary Fire

Management (Republic of Uruguay, May 2016)

Participating countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile,

Paraguay, Uruguay

Activities 2016-17 (III)

First Regional Consultation on Cross-boundary Fire

Management (Republic of Uruguay, May 2016)

Introduction of the EuroFire Competency Standards in

Spanish and Portuguese (Brazilian)

Introduction of the International Fire Aviation Guidelines

www.euro-fire.eu

International competency

standards for training of

firefighters

November 2016:

Available in 14

Languages for the

use in 50+ countries

2018: 3 more

languages to be

added

Antorcha de Goteo

Un equipo de ignición eficiente para comenzar una quema controlada

El contenedor se llena con una mezcla de diesel (2/3) y gasolina (1/3). Las gotas en llamas permitirán crear una larga y regular línea de ignición

Ignición de franja en equipo,

con fuego a favor del viento

Unit EF6: Ignition

Quema contra el viento – el primer paso:

Comenzar una quema contra el viento en el lado de sotavento (quemando contra el viento)

Quema contra el viento – el segundo paso:

Luego de que la „linea negra“ se haya quemado, la segunda quema se hará a favor del viento hasta que se junte con la primera

Ignición de franja en equipo,

con fuego a favor del viento

Unit EF6: Ignition

Chile Forest Fire Emergency

- January / February 2017 -

Evaluation of the extreme wildfires

Chile-Germany cooperation to assess the

damages caused by the fires

Update

3-4 October 2017: Regional Consultation on

Transboundary Cooperation in Fire Management

accomplished

Nine South American Countries attending with

representation at high level

Update

3-4 October 2017: Regional Consultation on

Transboundary Cooperation in Fire Management

accomplished

Viña del Mar Declaration

Official document that will be endorsed and followed up by

all South American countries

Finalized last week

Mr. Aaron Cavieres, Head of CONAF,

Announcing the Declaration

Update

3-4 October 2017: Regional Consultation on

Transboundary Cooperation in Fire Management

accomplished

Signing of an agreement between CONAF and GFMC

Initiation of the formal dialogue between government

agencies in 12 South American countries

Establishment of the Fire Management Resource Center –

South America Region (FMRC-SAR) with 2 nodes in Gurupí

(Brazil) and CONAF (Chile)

Scientific & Technical

Analysis & Prediction

Social & Economic Actions;

Fire ManagementG

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Global

Fire Early Warning

Monitoring & Analysis

Centres

National

Fire Management

Coordination Centres

Sector

Support

Institutions

Regional

Fire Early Warning

& Monitoring

Centres

National & Local

Actors in

Fire Management

International

Support

Organisations

Regional

Support

Organisations

Global

Applications

Centres

Regional

Applications

Centres

Sharing of Information and Resources within the Global Wildland Fire Network – 2001

Scientific & Technical

Analysis & Prediction

Social & Economic Actions;

Fire ManagementG

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Global

Fire Early Warning

Monitoring & Analysis

Centres

National

Fire Management

Coordination Centres

Sector

Support

Institutions

Regional

Fire Early Warning

& Monitoring

Centres

National & Local

Actors in

Fire Management

International

Support

Organisations

Regional

Support

Organisations

Global

Applications

Centres

Regional

Applications

Centres

GFMC

Sharing of Information and Resources within the Global Wildland Fire Network – 2017

Conclusions: The Way Ahead (I)

Lessons of fire ecology and anthropogenic fire history

allowed us to develop suitable contemporary solutions for

Integrated Fire Management

Changing demographic & socio-economic conditions,

coupled with the impact of climate change are forcing us

to re-define the Fire Triangle and seek for future solutions

in fire management

Conclusions: The Way Ahead (II)

The productivity and carrying capacity of the global

landscapes offer opportunities for sustainable production

of food & energy for an increasing world population

A “Green Economy” would recognize and subsidize the

active role of rural land in Integrated Fire and Land

Management – for multiple purposes, such as:

– Stabilization of ecosystems and their services

– Reduction of risk of wildfire disasters and secondary

damages

– Replacement of fossil fuels for energy production by

bioenergy

Conclusions: The Way Ahead (III)

Following-up Korea 2015: The Pyeongchang Declaration

on Fire Management and Sustainable Development

Outcomes of the 6th International Wildland Fire

Conference (Republic of Korea, 2015)

Two main documents:

1. Pyeongchang Declaration “Fire Management and

Sustainable Development”: A declaration directed to the

21st Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework

Convention for Climate Change (COP 21) (December

2015)

Intent: Summary of concerns, need for action and an offer

to the international community to consider the Systematic

application of principles of Integrated Fire Management

(IFM) as a contribution to the implementation of the Paris

Agreement

Outcomes of the 6th International Wildland Fire

Conference (Republic of Korea, 2015)

Two main documents:

2. Conference Statement – Annex to the Conference

Declaration: Expression of strong concerns for a number

of larger issues

Common concerns: Global change (climate, land use)

Special concerns: Increasing problems related to human

interventions and vulnerability of society

Identified Courses of Action: Apply existing and develop

new internationally coordinated approaches for solutions

Four Envisioned Implementation Goals: ……

Envisioned Implementation Goals, Recommendations:

Goal 1: Assist the most vulnerable

Goal 2: Establishment of regional programs and / or

resource centers … enhance cross-border cooperation;

further apply practical measures like SOPs, ICS for use in

bilateral and multilateral wildfire emergency response;

strengthen participatory fire management approaches

Goal 3: Enhancing bi- and multi-lateral mechanisms for fire

management expertise and resource sharing

Goal 4: Need to address several challenges – climate

change, carbon-rich environments, agricultural systems,

armed conflicts, contaminated terrain and human health.

Recommendations: These initiatives should receive

immediate attention over the next years and their progress

should be reported at the 7th IWFC in 2019.

The Global Wildland Fire Network – Implementation of

the Pyeongchang Goals (I):

– Achievements 2015-2016

– The way ahead until IWFC-7 – 2017-2019

Goal 1: Assisting countries in need in building capacities

in fire management – local to national. Realization: Multi-

facetted, bilateral and multi-lateral and -donor cooperation /

harmonization

Goal 2: Establishment of national institutions and

Regional Fire Management Resource Centers aimed at

serving

- Fostering the science-policy dialogue: Bringing the

state of scientific and technical knowledge to policy

and decision making bodies

- Capacity building (training, outreach……)

The Global Wildland Fire Network – Implementation of

the Pyeongchang Goals (II):

Goal 3: Support the establishment of bi- and multi-lateral

mechanisms for sharing expertise and fire management

resources (cross-boundary and international cooperation

in fire management)

Goal 4: Working with / through regional and international

organizations addressing regional / global and specific

thematic issues

- Vegetation fire emissions, climate change and human

health & security

- Management principles for protecting / enhancing

terrestrial carbon stocks & biodiversity

- Principles of ecosystem & environment protection

(e.g., black carbon, agricultural burning ……)

Conclusions: The Way Ahead (IV)

Following-up Korea 2015: The Pyeongchang Declaration

on Fire Management and Sustainable Development

Challenged by the UN: The 7th International Wildland Fire

Conference, Campo Grande, Brazil, May 2019

International Seminar on Integrated Fire Management (IFM)Results of the Cerrado Jalapão Project

Brasilia, Brazil – 21-23 November 2017

Obrigado

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