Resilient landscapes to face catastrophic forest fires: global insights towards a new paradigm
With the increasing threat and occurrence of catastrophic fire events around the globe, the need for new strategies for wildfire prevention and protection is clear. “Resilient landscapes to face catastrophic forest fires: global insights towards a new paradigm” is a two-day, high-level international conference that will bring together stakeholders and experts to propose holistic approaches for fire resilient landscapes that better integrate socioeconomic aspects of fire prevention.
The conference, to be held on 14-15 October 2019 in Madrid, is coorganised by the European Forest Institute (EFI) and the National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology (INIA), with support from the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Association of Forest Engineers.
This conference will analyse experiences and cases from five continents, identifying lessons learned and knowledge gaps, and discussing the way forward. Former Prime Minister of Spain Felipe González and former Prime Minister of Finland Esko Aho will open the event with a dialogue on the role of rural areas and the bioeconomy and what is needed to move towards a resilient and sustainable Europe.
Expert keynote speakers include David E. Calkin, from the Rocky Mountain Research Station in the United States, and Peter F. Moore from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, who will provide a global perspective for the growing threat, and urgent need for effective, landscape-level prevention of catastrophic fires.
Presentations, case studies, panel discussion and open debate will explore how leading scientific research on the socioeconomic dimensions of wildfire prevention can be translated into potential actions for a clear path forward to co-construct fire resilient landscapes in the Mediterranean and beyond.
