European forests are increasingly exposed to various disturbances which can be of abiotic or biotic nature. When being of more ‘catastrophic’ nature they can strongly disrupt targeted forest management goals and have severe consequences to wood production, timber markets, and environmental services. They may jeopardize the economic base of forest owners.
To mainstream risks as integral part of sustainable forest management and policy development, the European Forest Institute is starting a ‘European Forest Risk Facility’. In order to address the general aim of mainstreaming the risks, the Facility will be built on the following principles:
- UNDERSTANDING: the development of conceptual frameworks for better understanding biotic and abiotic forest risks and their related consequences, risks and opportunities
- INFORMATION: the elaboration of added-value information products for the main forest risks
- STRATEGIC PLANNING: support collaboration and coordination of relevant national bodies to develop joint actions and measures to prevent, mitigate and control risks
- FACILITATING: the exchange of good practice examples, policy measures and procedures and facilitate capacity building, networking and sharing experiences gathered in European countries
- CAPACITY BUILDING: the building of mechanisms for continuous learning across country borders
- COMMUNICATING: the communication of relevant information in a timely fashion using adequate dissemination channels for target users.
The FRISK GO project targets 1) to define and elaborate the core principles of the ‘European Forest Risk Facility’ and 2) to develop, based on the principles, a corresponding operational business plan and structural framework for a following implementation of the facility. The project structure mirrors the main functions of disturbance management and hence is organized along five work packages (WPs):
• WP 0: Project Management
• WP 1: Analysis and Information
• WP 2: Operational Procedures
• WP 3: Liaison and Communication and
• WP 4: Forest Risk Facility Business Plan
The FRISK GO project was funded by the Federal German Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection BMELV .
More information on the project website: http://www.friskgo.org/ (Last visited 5.7.2018)