New factsheet highlights fire-resilient forest management in Switzerland

As part of its work to support resilient forests and societies across Europe, FoRISK has released a new factsheet on wildfire prevention in Alpine regions. The publication was developed in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN/BAFU).

The publication, titled “Wildfire prevention in the Alpine region: fire-resilient forest management in Switzerland,” explores how wildfire risk is evolving in Alpine environments and outlines practical approaches to reducing vulnerability through sustainable forest management.

As climate change continues to influence weather patterns across Europe, wildfires are becoming an increasing concern not only in traditionally fire-prone regions but also in mountain landscapes. The factsheet examines how changing climatic conditions are contributing to more frequent and intense wildfire events in Switzerland, highlighting the need to treat wildfire risk as a growing challenge for Alpine ecosystems, infrastructure and communities.

Rather than focusing solely on fire suppression, the publication promotes a broader perspective centred on resilience. It emphasises that while weather conditions and topography cannot be controlled, forest managers can influence how fires behave by shaping forest structure, species composition and fuel characteristics. In this context, sustainable forest management emerges as a key tool for wildfire prevention and risk reduction.

The factsheet also underlines that building resilience to wildfire requires long-term commitment and coordination among multiple actors. Effective prevention depends on collaboration between forest managers, policymakers, emergency services, researchers and local communities, alongside the consistent implementation of informed management practices over time.

The factsheet forms part of FoRISK’s broader efforts to support integrated forest risk management across Europe by promoting knowledge exchange, capacity building and the dissemination of good practices.

FoRISK is an implementation mechanism under the Forest Europe process and is hosted by EFI. It supports countries and stakeholders in strengthening the risk prevention, preparedness, and integrated management of forest risks through international cooperation, knowledge exchange and capacity building.