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GFMC entrusted by the Prime Minister of Greece to lead the National Committee on Perspectives of Landscape Fire Management in Greece

09 August 2018 – Last Update: 10 March 2024 


On 23 July 2018 fast-moving wildfires near Athens affected the resorts Kineta and Mati and resulted in the death of 102 people, numerous injuries and the loss of critical infrastructures, houses, and private assets. Following the publication of statements by the head of the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC), Prof. Dr. Johann Georg Goldammer, by the Greek News Agency ANA-MPA on 4 August 2018, a phone conversation between the Prime Minister of Greece, Mr. Alexis Tsipras, was held on 7 August 2018. In this phone conversation, Prime Minister Tsipras asked Prof. Goldammer if he would be available to set up and lead a committee under the aegis of GFMC. The aim of the committee will be to investigate the underlying causes of the wildfire risks in the country and to develop recommendations for required reforms and policy measures in order to increase the resilience of the natural, cultural and urban-industrial landscapes of Greece and the people living therein against wildfires, and to prevent such disastrous events in the future. On a press conference on 9 August 2018, the Prime Minister added that the move aimed at excluding any possibility of political influence and biased findings.

After having accepted this proposal the head of GFMC met with the Prime Minister Tsipras on 23 August 2018 at the Maximos Mansion in Athens.

An agreement was reached about further procedures and the modus operandi of the “Committee on Perspectives of Landscape Fire Management in Greece”. The head of GFMC also consulted with the parliamentary opposition leader, Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to reach an agreement of multi-partisan support of the work of the Committee in the Hellenic Parliament.

The Commission decided to refrain from press interviews and other public statements, with the exemption of a few public statements in the Public TV and a News Agency (23 August 2018), at an interim press conference on 31 October 2018 and a second press conference after the delivery of the report of the Commission to the Prime Minister and the President of the Hellenic Parliament on 8 February 2019 (see below).

On 23 August 2018 the head of GFMC met with the Prime Minister Tsipras at the Maximos Mansion. Photo: Office of the Prime Minister

Establishment of the Committee

On 23 September 2018, the head of Committee introduced the Liaison Team to the State Minister and Spokesperson of the Government of Greece, Mr. Dimitrios Tzanakopoulos, at the Maximos Mansion. From left to right: Giorgos Mallinis, Georgios Eftychidis, Johann Georg Goldammer, Dimitrios Tzanakopoulos, Gavriil Xanthopoulos, Ioannis Mitsopoulos, Alexander Dimitrakopoulos.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is GFMC-Greece-Press-Conference-31-October-2018-01-1-1030x441.jpg

Briefing of the Greek media by the Committee (from left to right: Ioannis Mitsopoulos, Gavriil Xanthopoulos, Johann Georg Goldammer, Alexander Dimitrakopoulos, Georgios Eftychidis, Giorgos Mallinis).

The Inter-Agency Round Table “Future of Landscape Fire Management in Greece”, convened by the Committee on Perspectives of Landscape Fire Management in Greece, was held in the Ministry of Citizen Protection, Athens, 11 December 2018, with the participation of the key agencies of the country involved in fire management, and representatives of civil society. Photo: G. Xanthopoulos

Delivery of the Report to the Government of Greece

On 7 February 2019 the “Report of the Independent Committee tasked to Analyse the Underlying Causes and Explore the Perspectives for the Future Management of Landscape Fires in Greece” was handed over to Prime Minister Tsipras, the President of the Hellenic Parliament and the Standing Committees on the Protection of the Environment, Production and Commerce and Public Administration, Public Order and Justice. Furthermore, the Committee briefed the Parliamentary Groups. On 8 February 2019 the report was handed over to the President of the Hellenic Republic, Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

Briefing of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Maximos Mansion by the Committee, with participation of State Minister Dimitrios Tsanakopoulos and the Secretary for Civil Protection, Ioannis Tafyllis (on 7 February 2019). Photo: Maximos.

Handing over the Report to the Hellenic Parliament. From left: Committee Chair Johann Georg Goldammer, Mr. Nikolaos Voutsis, President of the Hellenic Parliament, Mrs. Aikaterini Igglezi, MP and Chair of the Special Standing Committee on the Protection of the Environment, Mrs. Chara Kafantari, MP and Chair of the Standing Committee on Production and Commerce, Mr. Mr Antonios Syrigos, MP and Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Administration, Public Order and Justice.
©Copyright: Hellenic Parliament-Photographer: Aliki Eleftheriou
Athens-Greece

Handing over the Report to Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, President, Parliamentary Group Nea Demokratia.

Handing over the Report to Mr. George Mavrotas, Vice-President, Parliamentary Group POTAMI.

Handing over the Report to the Parliamentary Group Democratic Coalition. Top left: Mr. Vasilis Kegkeroglou, Secretary; right: Mr. George Arvanitidis, Chair of the Environment & Energy Working Group

Handing over the Report to Mr. Vasileios Spyrou, Director, Parliamentary Group ENOSI KENTROON. Photo: Hellenic Parliament.

On 8 February 2019 the report was handed over to the President of the Hellenic Republic, His Excellency Mr. Prokopis Pavlopoulos (Center). ©Photo: ANA-MPA

At the Presidential Mansion (Proedrikό Mégaro) the President of the Hellenic Republic and the Commission discussed the consequences of climate change and land-use change on future risks of dangerous landscape fires and the measures to be taken. ©Photo: ANA-MPA. 

On 8 February 2019 the media were briefed on the outcomes of the Commission: Press conference at the General Secretariat of Information and Communication in Athens.

Presentation of the Report to the European Commission (DG ECHO) on 8 March 2019

Presentation of the recommendations of the Committee by
by Ioannis Mitsopoulos. Photo: G. Eftychidis.

Follow-up in implementing the Recommendation of the Committee

On 17 April 2019 the Independent Fire Management Committee presented and discussed the recommendations with three Special Parliamentary Committees in the Hellenic Parliament.

The spokesperson of the Independent Fire Management Committee, Dr. Gavriil Xanthopoulos, briefed the Hellenic Parliament on 17 April 2019

The first online conferences between the Independent Fire Management Committee and the Team of Mr. Stavros Benos, mandated by the Hellenic Government to develop a plan for post-fire reconstruction of Evia Island affected by wildfires in 2021, took place between 16 November and 07 December 2021. Participation: GFMC/Epitropi, Benos Team, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Greece; ministerial focal points of the German-Greek Assembly: Development of a plan of cooperation.


First online consultation with Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Hellenic Republic, Mr. Christos Stylianides, on landscape fire management; Ministry for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection of Greece, Athens, GFMC (22 December 2021)

26 May 2022


Continuation of cooperation with the Reconstruction Program of Northern Evia with the institutions and the citizens of Northern Evia, jointly with the Independent Landscape Fire Management Committee of Greece and the Team of Mr. Stavros Benos, mandated by the Hellenic Government to develop a plan for post-fire reconstruction of North Evia affected by wildfires in 2021: Field work and stakeholder consultations in the Region of Mantoudi, Limni und Agia Anna, North Evia (Limni, 26 May 2022).

The Round Table of the Municipality of Mantoudi, Agia Anna and Limni offered an opportunity for local authorities, inhabitants and the representatives of the Independent Landscape Fire Management Committee of Greece and the Team of Mr. Stavros Benos to discuss the severe fires in North Evia in 2021 and the need for action for the future.

27 May 2022 to January 2023
On 27 May 2022, the chair and the speaker of the Independent Landscape Fire Management Committee of Greece, Prof. Dr. Johann Georg Goldammer and Dr. Gavriil Xanthopoulos, met with Mr. Stavros Benos and Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Mr. Christos Stylianides. Consent was reached about the cooperation concerning the future of fire management in Greece.

07 March 2027
National conference “Forest Fires. Conclusions and Directions. The case of Evros”, organized by the Geotechnical Chamber of Greece in cooperation with GFMC in its function of Chair, National Committee on Perspectives of Landscape Fire Management in Greece, with presentation of the chair of the National Committee (Johann G. Goldammer, GFMC) “Landscape Fire Management as a Cross-sectoral Task: Greek and Global Perspectives” and the speaker of the National Committee (Gavriil Xanthopoulos (Hellenic Agricultural Organization “Demeter”, Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems) “Forest Fires: Directions for the Future in light of Recent Disasters’”; Alexandroupolis, Greece. 


Follow-up Publications

The following publications include statements of or about the Independent Fire Management Committee and a few reports about action taken by the government of Greece in 2020-2021:

GFMC Guidelines, Training Materials and Educational Sources in Greek Language

About the GFMC

The GFMC is a subdivision of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and is associated with the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction / UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) through the Science & Technology Partnership and its membership in the former UNISDR Inter-Agency Task Force for Disaster Reduction as leader of the Working Group on Wildland Fire and its successor arrangement, the Global Wildland Fire Network (GWFN). GFMC is coordinating a Sendai Voluntary Contribution (SVC).

In this context, the GFMC is coordinator and secretariat of the Global Wildland Fire Network, the UNISDR Wildland Fire Advisory Group and the International Fire Aviation Working Group (IFAWG). Furthermore, GFMC is serving as secretariat of the International Wildfire Preparedness Mechanism (IWPM). The Tools of the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) are aimed at advising / supporting nations and the United Nations in Capacity Building in Landscape Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction.

The GMFC is serving as a Specialized Center under the European and Mediterranean Major Hazards Agreement of the Council of Europe and collaborates with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in developing national fire management policies and fire management capacities, specifically in following up the Basel OSCE Ministerial Council Decision No. 6/14 on Enhancing Disaster Risk Reduction.

Johann Georg Goldammer is founder of GFMC (1998) and serving as director since then.


Global Landscape Fire Award 2019

 In order to create enhanced awareness of policy makers, politicians, administrators and scientists to bring the state of science and knowledge to practical and pragmatic application, the leadership of the Global Wildland Fire Network has decided on 9 May 2019 to launch the “Global Landscape Fire Award”. This prize will be awarded to individuals or institutions for:

Recognition for the Successful Achievements in Reducing the Adverse Impacts of Landscape Fires on the Environment and Humanity and the Promotion of Sustainable and Safe Application of Fire in Land Use and Ecosystem Management.

The Global Landscape Fire Award is a non-monetary award, which will be granted for the first time in 2019.

Based on the assessment of her achievements this first Award will be granted to Dr. Ir. Siti Nurbaya, MSc, Minister for Environment and Forestry, Republic of Indonesia.

Ceremony of handing over the Global Landscape Fire Award 2019 on 11 September 2019 in the Ministry for Environment and Forestry, Republic of Indonesia, Jakarta, to the laureate Dr. Ir. Siti Nurbaya, MSc, Minister for Environment and Forestry, Republic of Indonesia, and Certificates of Distinction for Prof. Dr. Ir. Bambang Hero Saharjo, M.Agr., Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) (right) and Dr. Ir. Raffles Brotestes Panjaitan, MSc, Director of Forest and Land Fire Management, Directorate General of Climate Change, Ministry for Environment and Forestry, Republic of Indonesia; Jakarta, Indonesia (left). Photos: Ministry for Environment and Forestry, Republic of Indonesia.

For more information:

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John Maddox Prize 2019

Prof. Dr. Bambang Hero Saharjo, head of the Regional Fire Management Resource Center – South East Asia (RFMRC-SEA) and Indonesia’s lead expert witness on environmentally catastrophic peatland fires, has been awarded the 2019 John Maddox Prize for Standing up for Science for his courage and integrity in standing up for sound science in the face of harassment, intimidation, and law suits (GFMC co-nominator); London, United Kingdom).

Bambang Hero Saharjo (second from right) after accepting the 2019 John Maddox Prize in London..

 

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