Regional South Asia Wildland Fire Network
A Region of the Global Wildland Fire Network
Vision, Mission and Goals
The vision of this regional network is to enhance and strengthen bilateral /multilateral and international cooperation in wildland fire management for creating synergies and sharing knowledge, technical and human resources between countries in the region by accepting and promoting principles, norms, rules and decision-making procedures within a guiding framework agreed upon by individual countries.
Mechanisms of cooperation in wildland fire management in the region will include:
- Bilateral / multilateral cooperation between two or more countries at national level within the region: This type of cooperation generally includes mechanisms for assistance in major emergencies to suppress fires, and technical assistance in specific cases. Cooperation should be extended to other areas of wildland fire management, such as wildland fire prevention, establishment of common databases, training programmes, etc.
- International (including inter-regional) between international donors and countries in the region: This type of cooperation will require financial and technical assistance mechanisms. Other elements of international cooperation may include the development of strategies, guidelines, norms and rules that would require least additional finances.
The Regional Strategy on Cooperation in Wildland Fire Management will give priority to:
- Develop bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms.
- Reach consensus by participating countries on agreed principles, norms, rules and decision making procedures in wildland fire management.
- Create an enabling atmosphere for international cooperation in wildland fire research and management, including international donors.
The mission of the Regional South Asia Wildland Fire Network is to facilitate the enhancement of local, national and regional fire management capabilities by creating synergies of participating scientists,managers and policy makers in accordance with the mandate and scope of the Inter-Agency Task Force for Disaster Reduction of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR), Working Group on Wildland Fire, and in collaboration with managers, policy makers, technical experts, and scientists throughout the region and worldwide.
Particular emphasis will be given to reduce the devastating effects of wildfires on property, resources, health, and the environment. The Regional Network will initiate processes and systems of information management and dissemination and facilitate technology transfer with the aim to help prevent and mitigate these effects. The working group will contribute to strengthen institutional fire management capabilities and to bring the worlds knowledge and technical expertise to communities suffering the devastating unnatural and unwanted impacts of wildfires.
Long-term goals include:
- Support the development of national policies.
- Support sustainable cooperation between countries of the region.
- Strengthen the Regional South Asian Wildland Fire Network.
- Support the development and implementation of a global strategy and / or the development of an international agreement on cooperation in wildland fire management.
The mid-term goals include:
- Provide a forum for a dialogue between governments, national focal points, NGOs, civil society, and regional and international stakeholders.
- Serve as catalytic and mutually supporting link between national wildland fire strategies.
- Enable sharing of resources between neighbouring countries in the region.
- Reinforce national and regional technical capacities in wildland fire management.
The specific objectives include:
- To contribute to the development and implementation of a national and regional organizational framework with principles, alignments, procedures and technical-operational formats agreed upon between the countries.
- To favour the development and strengthening of national fire management policies and strategies and in keeping with the same, improved legal frameworks regarding the issue.
- To establish a fire information system available, standardized and agreed between the countries of the region to support decision making.
- To develop fire detection early warning systems to enable prompt fire detection and to improve response time in an effective, organized, and safe manner leading to the minimization of effects on countries in the region.
- To develop national emergency control cooperation between countries of the region.
- To support sustainable cooperation between the countries of the region based on a concerted strategy and bilateral or multilateral programmes agreed to in terms of fire prevention, training, extension and research.
- To create an early wildland fire warning system at regional level.
- To support an establishment of early warning systems at national to local levels
- To establish and maintain the network information system on the internet
- To support an establishment or improvement of Integrated Fire Management Systems with emphasis on community participation
- To facilitate transnational synergies in wildland fire research and technology development with regard to fire science and to streamline technology transfer
- To increase/improve access and the use of remote sensing and related technology for use in fire monitoring, fuel and fire management planning and wildfire impact assessment
- To assist in wildfire disaster management and mitigation
- To facilitate capacity building at all levels of fire management
- To promote communication between wildland fire disciplines of Asia and from other continents, under the umbrella of the GFMC
- To establish and maintain linkage with GOFC/ GOLD.
