Forest Risk Knowledge Mechanism

Building on the Bratislava Ministerial Resolution “Adapting pan-European forests to climate change” (2021), FOREST EUROPE is currently working towards the pan-European forest risk knowledge mechanism (FoRISK). The aims is to support forests adaptation to climate change and enhance resilience and mitigation potential of forests.

The FoRISK Pilot was implemented from September 2022 to February 2024 with a subsequent evaluation and transition phase.

The risk associated to wildfires is of highest relevance in Europe as mentioned in the UNEP report “Spreading like Wildfire: The Rising Threat of Extraordinary Landscape Fires”. The reasons are manifold, yet particularly climate change and associated dryer conditions as well as land-use change (e.g. land abandonment) leading to fuel accumulation drive an increase in burning throughout Europe. Wildfire events, especially large-scale events, were prominent in the media throughout recent years, which increased the awareness of fires among society and policy-makers.

The pan-European Forest Risk Knowledge Mechanism aims at enhancing cooperation between signatories and observers and exchange of knowledge on forest risk management at the science-policy-practice interface.