Reducing wildfire risk in Europe through sustainable forest management: a policy brief

Description

Across Europe, a growing number of large and uncontrolled wildfires are threatening values such as forest ecosystems, essential ecosystem services,  populations and infrastructure. Devastating economic, social and environmental consequences of wildfires are no longer limited to the Mediterranean region but are part of the new reality in central and northern European forests which have until now been less fire prone.

Governments are called on to radically shift their investments in wildfires to focus on prevention and preparedness especially since wildfires and climate change are mutually exacerbating and impeding progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Healthy and sustainably managed forests are key for providing multiple benefits for the environment, economic and social development, livelihoods and help to mitigate the effects of climate change. Climate smart Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) also safeguards biodiversity, facilitates the development of a circular bioeconomy and promotes green jobs
and employment in the forestry sector.

Climate smart SFM, particularly managing vegetation density, structure, and species type is key for mitigating multiple, intersecting challenges and feedbacks of climate change, storm, bark beetle, drought, invasive species, pest and disease and wildfires. In future, more diverse risk reduction measures must be integrated into forest management to achieve greater landscape resilience to future expected disturbances.

Policy recommendations:

• Apply the near and longer-term strategies outlined in this policy brief;
• Support a forest’s microclimate through continuous cover forestry and regeneration with targeted tree species;
• Allow accumulation of large deadwood (where appropriate and with a deadwoodconcept) to increase water storage capacity, improve soil quality and reduce temperature through evaporation;
• Promote agroforestry, silviculture, and mixed grazing regimes to meet multiple objectives;
• Reduce the number of skidding lanes where appropriate; adapt or develop roads for emergency access in higher-risk areas;
• Integrate pre-defined fire control lines and buffer zones (reduction of vegetation density, structure and type) and other protective measures, especially near communities, critical infrastructure, or other values;
• Use prescribed burning to achieve ecological balance or for vegetation management where appropriate and as a training, confidence building and educational tool for first responders, forest and land managers and other relevant stakeholders (e.g., nature conservation);
• Enable collaboration, communication, and capacity building in climate smart SFM and IFM across sectors and promote inclusive risk governance which supports diversity and dialogue.
• Acknowledge that even the best managed forest might burn under extreme weather conditions, but note that SFM is offering a wide range of mitigation measures pre- during- and postfire.

See full policy brief here