National Round Table on Fire Management

 

Training Course on Integrated Fire Management

Mazandaran, Kelarabad, Islamic Republic of Iran, 9-12 May 2016

Background and Rationale

Forests and other vegetation in the Middle East and neighbouring regions of the Caspian Sea, South Caucasus, Near East and adjoin Balkans and Central Asia are becoming increasingly affected by climate change and socio-economic and land-use changes. One of the major problems associated with this development is the increasing vulnerability, occurrence and damages caused by wildfires. In theIslamic Republic of Iran most fire-endangered forest ecosystems and adjoining lands are in the Caspian region. The similarity of problems in the neighbouring region of the country is calling for an exchange of expertise and knowledge in fire management. In 2011 the International Conference of Wildfire on Natural Resources Lands, Islamic Republic of Iran, held in Gorgan, Golestan Province, included participation of fire management experts from neighbouring countries, which are members of the Global Wildland Fire Network, and revealed the benefits of mutual exchange of fire management expertise between neighbouring countries of the region.

Organizers: Host and Supporting Organizations

The First International Fire Management Week was organized and hosted by the Forest, Rangeland and Watershed Management Organization (FRWO), Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran. The first part – the National Round Table on Fire Management – was led through theGlobal Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC), Secretariat of theGlobal Wildland Fire Network (GWFN) (Freiburg, Germany), the Regional Central Asia Fire Management Resource Center (RCAFMRC), Secretariat of the UNISDR Regional Central Asia Wildland Fire Network (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia), and the Regional Fire Monitoring Center (RFMC), Secretariat of the UNISDR Regional South East Europe / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network (Skopje, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia). The First International Fire Management Week was supported by the voluntary framework of theInternational Wildfire Preparedness Mechanism (IWPM), which is offering capacity building and cross-boundary cooperation in fire management through exchange of expertise and application of voluntary standards in fire management. The IWPM is a contribution for the implementation of the UNISDR Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.

The second part of the First International Fire Management Week provided on on-site field assessment of the fire and fire management situation in the most fire-endangered forest of the country. It was followed-up by a concluding consultation between the host country and the GFMC / GWFN.

Introduction of the EuroFire Competency Standards and Training Material in Persian Language

Under the sponsorship of the EU Leonardo da Vinci programme the GFMC has developed between 2006 and 2008 competency standards and basic training materials for professional and volunteer fire fighters – the EuroFire Competency Standards and Training Materials. Apart of national use the materials are increasingly used for cross-boundary cooperation in fire management within the GWFN and the IWPM. Through a better local understanding of corporate training materials of firefighters the interoperability, effectiveness and efficiency of countries cooperating in wildfire emergencies is increased.

In early 2016 the FRWO translated the EuroFire materials to Persian and introduced to the authorities of IR Iran at the First International Fire Management Week and encouraged the participants to apply them for capacitating local administrations and rural communities in safe and efficient control of wildfires. At future regional trainings such as the last one held under the co-auspices of theUNISDR Regional SE Europe / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network inTurkey in 2014 the materials will be used for cross-boundary training.

Picture Gallery of the 2016 International Fire Management Week

Forests of the Alborz Mountain Range, Northern Iran

The Core Group of the Fire Management Week

Fire response team of the Forest Protection Guard

Forest Fire Hotshots

Opening of the Fire Management Week by Colonel Ghasem Sabz Ali, Commander of Forest Guard (FRWO)

Opening remarks by Prof. Dr. Johann Georg Goldammer, Director of the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC)

Welcome Remarks by Dr. Oyunsanaa Byambasuren, Director of the Regional Central Asia Fire Management Resource Center (RCAFMRC)

Welcome Remarks by Prof. Dr. Nikola Nikolov, Director of the Regional SE Europe / Caucasus Fire Monitoring Center (RFMC)

Introduction of the EuroFire Competency Standards by GFMC

Introduction of the Persian version of the EuroFire Competency Standards by Dr. Roghayeh Jahdi (FRWO)

Panel discussion: Questions directed to the international group

Panel discussion: Nikola Nikolov replying to the audience

Discussion contribution by the practitioner community

Vivid discussion among the international advisory group

The audience: Leadership of the FRWO

The audience: Leadership of the FRWO and University of Gorgan

Audience: The community of practitioners involved in the discussion

Ceremonial: ENDEX

Back

/by

GFMC AND THE OSCE

OSCE and GFMC Activities in Southeast Europe, Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia
2006-2023

Introduction

The involvement of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) in the field of wildfire management was initiated by the OSCE-led Environmental Assessment Mission to fire-affected territories in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region in 2006 and the Joint OSCE/UNEP Environmental Assessment Mission to Georgia in 2008. Both assessments showed that the damage caused by wildfires in the South Caucasus can partially be attributed to the absence of effective forest fire management systems. To assist the South Caucasus countries in enhancing their fire management capacities, the OSCE within the framework of the ENVSEC Initiative launched in 2009 the project “Enhancing National Capacities on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”. The project is conducted in partnership with the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) based in Germany. So far, the project has gone through three phases: first phase focused on national and regional trainings within the UNISDR Regional Southeast Europe/Caucasus Wildland Fire Network. In the second phase, forest fire vulnerability assessments were conducted in all three countries and at regional level a training workshop was held in Antalya, Turkey in 2010, with the participation of 30 representatives from the agencies of the South Caucasus countries responsible for fire management as well as selected Southeastern Europe countries. In the third phase, the project has been focusing on further developing and implementing national fire management policies in the countries of the region, supported by training activities and participation of countries in major international events and networks on wildfire management. The last activity in the South Caucasus was the OSCE support for the development of a Regional Fire Danger Rating System and organization of regional trainings.

In Eastern Europe the OSCE and GFMC supported the development of policies and fire management capabilities on terrain contaminated by radioactivity in Ukraine and Belarus in the frame of the project “Improving Radiological and Environmental Awareness in Territories affected by the Chernobyl Accident in Belarus and Ukraine with a Focus on Wildfire Management”. With the assistance of the Regional Eastern Europe Fire Monitoring Center (REEFMRC), which was set up by the GFMC with financial support of the Council of Europe in 2013, management procedures, guidelines and training materials have been developed.

In Central Asia the OSCE through GFMC supported the establishment of the Fire Management Resource Center – Central Asia Region (FMRC-CAR) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

With the 2014 OSCE Ministerial Council Decision 6/14 ”Enhancing Disaster Risk Reduction”, the OSCE Executive Structures and the OSCE Office of Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) were tasked with DRR with emphasis on exchange of knowledge and experience in fire management.

Calendar of Activities 2006-2023

OSCE-led Environmental Assessment Mission to Fire-Affected Areas in Nagorno-Karabakh (Azerbaijan, Georgia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia, 2-13 October 2006
OSCE-led Environmental Assessment Mission to Fire-Affected Areas in Nagorno-Karabakh, in Fulfillment of the UNGA Resolution A/RES/60/285 “The Situation in the Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan: Revised Draft Resolution / Azerbaijan” (7 September 2006). Technical support of the mission by GFMC.

OSCE Media Reports on the Mission

Regional Wildland Fire Consultation on the Development of a Strategy on International Cooperation in Wildland Fire Management in the Regional South East European / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network (Sofia, Bulgaria, 18-21 March 2007)
The Regional Wildland Fire Consultation included representatives from Armenia and Georgia.



Participants of the Regional Wildland Fire Consultation

4th International Wildland Fire Conference (Sevilla, Spain, 12-18 May 2007)
Representatives from Armenia and Azerbaijan attended the Conference and the meeting of the UNISDR Global Wildland Fire Network.

Joint OSCE / UN mission to assess the fire damages in Georgia resulting from the armed conflict between Georgia and Russia in August 2008 (Tbilisi, Borjomi, Gori, South Ossetia, Georgia, 29 September – 5 October 2008)
The GMFC provided the technical support to the Joint OSCE / UN mission. Final mission report released by OSCE on 27 October 2008:

Regional Consultation 2008 of the UNISDR Regional Southeast Europe / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network (Skopje, Republic Macedonia, 4-6 December 2008)
The 2008 meeting of the network was held at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy. The main objectives of the meeting were the review of the fire situation in the region in 2007-2008 and the preparation for the 2009 Regional Seminar on “Fire Management on Terrain contaminated by Unexploded Ordnance (UXO), Land Mines and Radioactivity. Participating countries from the South Caucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

First Fire Management Training Course – Southern Caucasus Region (Borjomi National Park, Georgia, 21-27 June 2009)
Fire Management Training Course – Southern Caucasus Region, conducted in the frame of the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Enhancing National Capacity on fire Management and Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”.


Georgian and Armenian trainees with instructors of GFMC and Regional SE Europe / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network




Presentation of the fire behavior analysis of the 2008 fires in Borjomi Gorge, GeorgiaOn-site analysis of the consequences of the 2008 wildfires on ecosystem and secondary damages (erosion, sediment transport) On-site information by Department of Forestry Ministry of Environment of Georgia

Georgia: First National Round Table on Fire Management (Tbilisi and provinces of Georgia, 4 September 2009)
First National Round Table for the Establishment of a National Inter-Agency Fire Management Committee in Georgia, conducted in the frame of the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”.


All Georgian Ministries and Agencies involved in fire management attended the Round Table

Advanced Seminar “Wildfires and Human Security: Fire Management on Terrain Contaminated by Radioactivity, Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) and Land Mines” (Kiev and Chornobyl, Ukraine, 6-8 October 2009)
This seminar addressed consequences of wildfires and fire management on contaminated terrain and was organized by the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) in the frame of the activities of the Council of Europe (CoE) and the joint project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus” (Environment and Security Initiative [ENVSEC]), the UNISDR Regional Southeast Europe / Caucasus and Central Asia Wildland Fire Networks and the UNECE / FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire.


Seminar group in front of the sarcophagus of Chernobyl Reactor 4

Visit of the Chernobyl Fire Brigade

First regional Advanced Seminar in Wildland Fire Management (Antalya, Turkey, 1-4 March 2010)
This first regional Advanced Seminar in Wildland Fire Management was conducted by the General Directorate of Forestry (Orman Genel Müdürlügü, Ankara) in cooperation with and co-sponsored by Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC), the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) / United Nations University (UNU), Faculty of Forestry, Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi, (Trabzon, Turkey), the UNISDR Regional Southeast Europe / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network and the UNECE / FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire.


Prof. Bilgili explaining specialized forest fire fighting equipment

Fire specialists from 11 countries enjoying the exercise

Commander in Chief of the Turkish Firefighting Force: Mr. Nurettin Dogan

Georgia: Second Fire Management Training Course – Southern Caucasus Region (Borjomi National Park, Georgia, 12-14 July 2010)
The Second Fire Management Training Course – Southern Caucasus Region was conducted in the frame of the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Phase Two – Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus” and included a workshop for representatives of local communities addressing “Community Participation in Fire Management”.

Georgia: Second National Round Table on Fire Management (Aarhus Center, Tbilisi, Georgia, 15 July 2010)
The second National Round Table on Fire Management in preparation of a National Fire Management Policy for Georgia, was conducted in the frame of the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Phase Two – Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”.


The Second National Round Table on Fire Management included participants from the Ministry of Environment (Forest Department, Protected Areas Department), Ministry of Internal Affairs (Emergency Department, Fire Department) and NGOs (WWF, IUCN), facilitated by the Aarhus Center / ENVSEC.

Armenia: Wildland Fire Field Assessmentand National Round Table on Fire Management (Yerevan, Khosrov Nature Reserve, Syunik Marz, Armenia, 19-22 September 2010)
A wildland fire field assessment and the first National Round Table on Fire Management in preparation of a National Fire Management Policy for Armenia was conducted in the frame of the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Phase Two – Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”.


Visual impressions of the Armenia fire assessment mission: Monitoring of wildfires in the agricultural and pasture lands of Syuniq Region and consultations at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Yerevan (22 September 2010)

Third National Round Table on Fire Management (Aarhus Center, Tbilisi, Georgia, 13 December 2010)
The third National Round Table on Fire Management in preparation of a National Fire Management Policy for Georgia was held in the frame of the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Phase Two – Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”.

OSCE Workshop on Confidence Building Measures (OSCE Headquarters, Vienna, Austria, 30 May 2011)
At the OSCE) Workshop on Confidence Building Measures the GFMC presented the cooperative work in the South Caucasus, South Eastern Europe and Eastern Europe on behalf of OSCE through the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC).

Azerbaijan: Wildland Fire Assessment Mission and First National Round Table (Baku and field sites, Azerbaijan, 30 June – 6 July 2011)
The Wildland Fire Assessment Mission and First National Round Table for developing a National Fire Management Policy for Azerbaijan were conducted in the frame of Phase II of the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus” though GFMC and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).





Azerbaijan wildland fire field assessment and National Round Table on Fire Management (Baku, 5 July 2011)

Armenia: Fire Management Training Course, National Forest Fire Exercise and Second National Conference & Round Table (Kapan, Yerevan and field sites in Syunik Marz, Armenia, 10-15 September 2011)
Fire management training course, national forest fire exercise and the Second National Conference & Round Table for developing a National Fire Management Policy for Armenia were conducted in the frame of Phase II of the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus” through GFMC and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Regional Meeting of the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) in the South Caucasus (Tbilisi, Georgia, 3-4 April 2012)
Regional Meeting of the ENVSEC Initiative in the South Caucasus, with GFMC / OSCE contribution on Phase III of the ENVSEC Initiative “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus” through GFMC and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).







Delegations of the South Caucasus countries Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia Attended the regional workshop, which was addressing the OSCE / ENVSEC Project on Forest Fire Management in the South Caucasus.

Fourth National Round Table on Fire Management in preparation of a National Fire Management Policy for Georgia (Tbilisi, Georgia, 29 May 2012)
Fourth National Round Table on Fire Management in preparation of a National Fire Management Policy for Georgia, conducted in the frame of the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Phase Two – Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”.


The 4th National Round Table was held at Goethe Institute, Tbilisi, Georgia

Workshop “Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilient and Sustainable Development” (Tbilisi, Borjomi, Georgia, 30 May 2012)
The workshop “Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilient and Sustainable Development” for the South Caucasus Region (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia) included a field excursion addressing “Progress in Capacity Building in Fire Management at Community Level” in Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park.

Revisit of the forest site near Daba village, Borjomi, affected by wildfire in 2008.
General recovery by natural succession but some erosion and landslide threats visible

Workshop “International Response to Major Natural and Man-made Disasters: The Role of the OSCE” (Vienna, Austria, 17 September 2012)
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) Workshop “International Response to Major Natural and Man-made Disasters: The Role of the OSCE” included a GFMC contribution “Enhancing National and Regional Capacities on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction”.

Azerbaijan: Fire management training course, national forest fire exercise and Second National Round Table on Fire Management (Baku, Gabala, and field sites in Azerbaijan, 22-28 September 2012)
Fire management training course, national forest fire exercise and Second National Round Table on Fire Management, for developing a National Fire Management Policy for Azerbaijan, a contribution of Phase III of the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus” through GFMC and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), with participation of members of the UNECE/FAO team of Specialists on Forest Fire.

Armenia: Second National Round Table for developing a National Fire Management Policy for Armenia (Yerevan, Armenia, 3 December 2012)
The Second National Round Table for developing a National Fire Management Policy for Armenia, was a contribution of Phase III of the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus” through GFMC and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), in cooperation with the UNECE/FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire.

Round Table participants included representatives of all agencies and civil society stakeholders concerned.

Armenia-Azerbaijan-Georgia: EuroFire Competency Standards and Training Materials published (June 2013)
The EuroFire Competency Standards and Training Materials are now translated to Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian and available for training of trainers and firefighters.


EuroFire Homepage: https://gfmc.online/eurofire/index-11.html. For the 22 language versions of the English base document click on the country flags

Armenia: National Training for Trainers in Fire Management and Third National Round Table for developing a National Fire Management Policy (Yerevan, Armenia, 20-22 August 2013)
National Training for Trainers in Fire Management and Third National Round Table for developing a National Fire Management Policy for Armenia, a contribution of Phase III of the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus” through GFMC and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).


Participants of the EuroFire Training of Trainers

Third National Round Table on Fire Management, co-chaired by General Vrezh Gabrielyan (Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Armenia, Rescue Service) and GFMC

UNECE/FAO Regional Forum on Cross-boundary Fire Management (United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, 27-29 November 2013)
UNECE/FAO Regional Forum on Cross-boundary Fire Management, organized by the UNECE/FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire through its Coordinator – the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC), Germany, and supported by the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE); with participation of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.


Participants of the UNECE/FAO Regional Forum on Cross-boundary Fire Management
Palais des Nations, Geneva,28-29 November 2013

22nd OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum “Responding to Environmental Challenges with a View to Promoting Cooperation and Security in the OSCE Area” (Vienna, Austria, 27-28 January 2014)
Presentation of the OSCE-ENVSEC Project “Enhancing National Capacities on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus” in Panel III “Improving environmental security: How can we reduce natural disaster risks? Lessons learned”.

Georgia: Fifth National Round Table on Fire Management
The Round table will address the preparation of the National Fire Management Policy for Georgia and the implementation plan, conducted in the frame of the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus” (Tbilisi, Georgia, 24 March 2014)

Georgia: Sixth National Round Table on Fire Management
In the presence of the Minister for Environment the Round table addressed the preparation of the National Fire Management Policy for Georgia and the implementation plan, conducted in the frame of the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus” (Tbilisi, Georgia, 8 July 2014)

The Round Table was addressed by Ms. Khatuna Gogadlaze, Minister of Environment (right), and the Mr. Bidzina Giorgobiani, Head of the National Forestry Agency
Johann G. Goldammer, Director, GFMC
Ms. Catherine Nakashidze, OSCE.

GFMC-GIZ Georgia Mission Integrated Fire Management 2014-I
GFMC-GIZ Georgia Mission Integrated Fire Management I in the frame of the GIZ Programme “Sustainable Management of Biodiversity, South Caucasus” and in cooperation with the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”; Dedoplistskaro Municipality and Tbilisi, Georgia.


Burning of agricultural residues starts after terminating wheat harvest in July

Windbreak belts largely destroyed by fuelwood cutting in the 1990s are further degraded by fires spreading from agricultural burning

Close look at the fire and cutting effects in the windbreak belts

Protection of rehabilitated windbreaks by a ploughed firebreak.

GFMC-GIZ Georgia Mission Integrated Fire Management 2014-II
GFMC-GIZ Georgia Mission Integrated Fire Management II in the frame of the GIZ Programme “Sustainable Management of Biodiversity, South Caucasus” and in cooperation with the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”; Dedoplistskaro Municipality and Tbilisi, Georgia.


Main theme of activity: Training of safe agricultural burning practices (29 July 2014, Dedoplistskaro municipality)

22nd OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum
Concluding meeting of the 22nd OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum “Responding to Environmental Challenges with a View to Promoting Cooperation and Security in the OSCE Area”, with GMFC contributions to Session IV “A co-operative response to environmental challenges: OSCE experience and lessons learnt for the future” (with GFMC presentation “OSCE experiences in enhancing national capacities in fire management and wildfire disaster risk reduction”); and to the panel debate Session VII “The Role of the OSCE in responding to environmental challenges”; Prague, Czech Republic, 9-12 September 2014.





Opening of the Forum by with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swiss Foreign Minister and President of the Confederation Mr. Didier Burkhalter (upper left); Minister for Foreign Affairs of Czech Republic, Mr. Lubomir Zaorálek and the UN Secretary General Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Ms. Margareta Wahlström (upper right) Session IV – A Co-operative Response to Environmental Challenges: OSCE Experience and Lessons Learnt for the Future (upper) Session VII – Panel Debate – The Role of the OSCE in Responding to Environmental Challenges (lower) Photos: OSCE/Lubomir Kotek

Regional Fire Management Training for the South Caucasus and Western Balkans
The course is held in the frame of the OSCE/ENVSEC project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”; Fire Management Training Center, Antalya, Turkey, 15-17 October 2014.


 
Forest fire exercise with heliborne hotshot crew, demonstration of hand tools and group photos of the firefighter trainers and resource persons from Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, FYR of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, United States of America & GFMC / OSCE staff. Photos: Kadir A. Coskuner.

25-26 November 2014
Environment and Security (ENVSEC) Initiative Partners Meeting, with OSCE/ENVSEC/GFMC project report “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”; Belgrade, Serbia.


Presentation “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”. Moderator:Jan Dusik, Director and Regional Representative, Regional Office for Europe, UNEP. Presenters: Esra Buttanri, Senior Environmental Affairs Adviser, OSCE and ENVSEC Regional Desk Officer for Southern Caucasus, and Johann Georg Goldammer, Director, Global Fire Monitoring Center. Photo: © Regional Environment Center (REC)

3-4 December 2014
2014 OSCE Ministerial Council; Basel, Switzerland. GFMC involvement in the preparatory process and the resulting Council Decision:

Summary Report 2013-2014
The Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities highlighted the fire management projects in the South Caucasus and in Mongolia in its biennial report:

Armenia: Approval of the National Fire Management Policy
On 22 January 2015 the Government of the Republic of Armenia published Decision #45-A “On Approval of the National Fire Management Policy and its Implementation Strategy and Plan of Actions for Plant Covered Areas in Forests, Specially Protected Nature Areas, Agricultural Lands and Settlements”. The Armenian and unofficial English translation of the Decree can be obtained from GFMC:

Georgia: Joint fire management meetings of ENVSEC and GIZ
Meeting with GIZ Programme “Sustainable Management of Biodiversity, South Caucasus” and in cooperation with the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”; Tbilisi, Georgia, 7 June 2015.

Meeting with the Ministry for Environment, Forestry Agency, on theNational Fire Management Policy for Georgia and the implementation plan, an activity of the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”; Tbilisi, Georgia.

2015 Regional Meeting of the ENVSEC Initiative
The 2015 Regional Meeting of the ENVSEC Initiative in the South Caucasus included a report of the ENVSEC/OSCE/GFMC fire management project; Tbilisi, Georgia, 8-9 June 2015.

Opening of the Fire Management Resource Center-Central Asia Region (FMRC-CAR)
On 21 September 2015 the FMRC-CAR was officially opened – financed by the OSCE through support from the Government of Switzerland.

Prof. Dr. Goldammer (GFMC) giving a keynote speech on Wildland Fire Situation in the Central Asian Region
From left: Prof. Dr. Goldammer (GFMC), Deputy Minister M.Khurelsukh (MEGDT, Mongolia), Mr. Daniel Valenghi (Swiss Cooperation Office in Mongolia), Dr. B.Oyunsanaa (FMRC-CAR)
From left: Dr. Ts.Chuluunbaatar (MEGDT, Mongolia), Ms.Chuluuntsetseg (MEGDT), B.Oyunsanaa (FMRC-CAR), Prof. Dr. J.G.Goldammer (GFMC), Colonel J.Ganbaatar (LEU, Mongolia) Opening Remarks by Vice President, Prof. Dr. B.Boldgiv (NUM) and Director, Prof. Dr. N.Baatarbileg (NUM)

6th International Wildland Fire Conference
The 6th International Wildland Fire Conference was held with participation of member states of the UNISDR Regional SE Europe / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network; Pyeonchang, Republic of Korea, 12-16 October 2015.

  • Pyeongchang Declaration, Conference Statement, and Regional Statements (including regional session agendas, abstracts and posters of the Regional Wildland Fire Networks): https://gfmc.online/korea-2015.html

ENVSEC Workshop “Forest Fires in South Eastern Europe (SEE)”
On the occasion of the closing of the ENVSEC project “Addressing the Risks of Forest Fires in SEE” the workshop reviewed the regional report on forest fires in the SEE region by the Regional Fire Monitoring Center (RFMC). Participating countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia in Budapest, Hungary; Budapest, Hungary, 29 October 2015.

Workshop “Fire Danger Rating System for the South Caucasus”
The workshop “Fire Danger Rating System for the South Caucasus” was held in the frame and implementation of the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”; National Environmental Agency, Tbilisi, Georgia, 29-30 October 2015.


Workshop instructors and facilitators (from left to right) Bill de Groot (Canadian Forest Service), Catherine Nakashidze (ENVSEC Initiative / OSCE) and Mike Wotton (Canadian Forest Service)

Example of a first product of the Fire Danger Rating System for the South Caucasus: Drought Code of 20 September 2009. Images: Courtesy OSCE

2016 ENVSEC Regional Meeting for South Eastern Europe (SEE)
The ENVSEC Regional Meeting for South Eastern Europe gathered the ENVSEC National Focal Points of the region as well as representatives of resource partners, academia, civil society and business. The theme “Forest Fires” was addressed in the Panel “Management of shared natural resources” by the head of the Regional SE Europe / Caucasus Fire Monitoring Center (RFMC); Tirana, Albania, 28-30 June 2015

Islamic Republic of Iran: National Round Table on Fire Management Training Course on Integrated Fire Management
The First International Fire Management Week in Iran was organized in Mazandaran, Kelarabad, 9-12 May 2016, hosted by the Forest, Rangeland and Watershed Management Organization (FRWO). The week included (a) a National Round Table on Fire Management and (b) the introduction of the EuroFire Competency Standards and Training Materials in Persian language. The Fire Management Week was conducted by the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC), the Regional Central Asia Fire Management Resource Center (RCAFMRC) and the Regional Fire Monitoring Center (RFMC), Secretariat of the UNISDR Regional South East Europe / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network.

Second Workshop “Fire Danger Rating System for the South Caucasus”
The second workshop “Fire Danger Rating System for the South Caucasus” was held in the frame and implementation of the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”. Following the initial workshop in Tbilisi in 2015 (see above) three days of technical workshops provided the background on fire danger rating systems, Canadian Fire Weather Index, and to train users to use the fire information system, as well as the Canadian fire information toolkit. This toolkit was designed to work with GIS software, calculates the Fire Weather Index system from a database, and creates raster output files to be placed in a map. Training in GIS and database software and the Fire Weather Index system was also included. The workshop took place at the Armenian State Hydrometeorological Agency, Yerevan, 12-14 October 2016.


Natasha Jurko and Alan Cantin (Canadian Forest Service) presenting the methodology for installing, maintaining and applying the Regional Fire Danger Rating System for the South Caucasus.

Inception meeting Improving Radiological and Environmental Awareness in Territories affected by the Chernobyl Accident in Belarus and Ukraine
The inception meeting of OSCE / GFMC / REEFMC project Improving Radiological and Environmental Awareness in Territories affected by the Chernobyl Accident in Belarus and Ukraine with a Focus on Wildfire Management was held in Kyiv, Ukraine, 7 September 2017:

Representatives of Ukraine and Belarus attending the Inception Workshop

2017 OSCE Economic and Environmental Dimension Implementation Meeting
The meeting included a GFMC / REEFMC contribution Supporting the Implementation of OSCE Ministerial Council Decision 6/14 on Enhancing Disaster Risk Reduction: Enhancing National and Regional Capacities in Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction (Session I: Strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction and Management at all Levels), presented by S. Zibtsev, Director of REEFMC, on behalf of GFMC Director; Hofburg, Vienna, Austria, 16-17 October 2017:

Presentation of the joint GFMC / REEFMC Statement by Sergiy V. Zibtsev

Working meeting Improving Radiological and Environmental Awareness in Territories affected by the Chernobyl Accident in Belarus and Ukraine
The first working meeting of the OSCE project Improving radiological and environmental awareness in territories affected by the Chernobyl accident in Belarus and Ukraine with a focus on wildfire management, for preparation a bilateral fire emergency response exercise between Belarus and Ukraine (May 2018) was held at the OSCE Office in Ukraine, Chernihiv, Ukraine, 24 April 2018.

Bilateral fire emergency response exercise between Belarus and Ukraine 
In the frame of the project Improving radiological and environmental awareness in territories affected by the Chernobyl accident in Belarus and Ukraine with a focus on wildfire management, coordinated by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the REEFMRC and GFMC; Gomel Oblast Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus, Gomel, Belarus, 17-18 May 2018:

The first joint table-top exercise of Ukrainian and Belarussian agencies responsible for fire management and emergency situations was conducted in Gomel, Belarus, under the auspices and sponsorship of the OSCE. Photos courtesy OSCE / Evgeniy Maloletka.

Awareness-raising and information materials on wildfire risk reduction in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
A number of awareness-raising and information materials on wildfire risk reduction in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone were developed by the OSCE in co-operation with the REEFMC and the GFMC in the frame of the project Improving Radiological and Environmental Awareness in Territories Affected by the Chernobyl Accident in Belarus and Ukraine with a Focus on Wildfire Management at the request of the Ministry for Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management.

Regional Workshop Landscape Fire Management in South Eastern Europe
The workshop was organized by the Regional Fire Monitoring Center For SE Europe / Caucasus (RFMC) and GFMC, on behalf of the Office of the Coordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, with the topics: (a) Review of the state and need for further development of national and regional early warning systems, fire management information systems and exchange of data and information at regional SEE level; (b) Review of national fire management systems: Current situation, policies and inter-agency cooperation; (c) Needs for future building and strengthening of volunteer firefighting services; (d) Strengthening national and cross-boundary fire management capacities for complementing and increase effectiveness of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in the SEE neighborhood; (e) Fire management on terrain contaminated by unexploded ordnance (UXO) and land mines, and (f) Discussion on modalities for strengthening the regional co-operation on Fire Management; 17-19 December 2018, Skopje, North Macedonia.

Meeting of the OSCE Economic and Environment Committee
At the 2019 meeting of the Economic and Environment Committee of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) the GFMC reported the results of activities in Landscape Fire Disaster Risk Reduction in OSCE Participating States (J.G. Goldammer); 18 February 2019, OSCE Secretariat, Hofburg, Vienna, Austria.

With the presentation “The Involvement of the OSCE in Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction: A Retrospective of Joint Efforts with the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) 2006-2018” the head of GFMC reported about the progress in development of fire management capacities in OSCE Participating States, which led to the Basel OSCE Ministerial Council Decision No. 6/2014 “Enhancing Disaster Risk Reduction” and the post-Basel fire management / wildfire DRR agenda 2015-2018 in the Participating States. Photo: OSCE Secretariat.

OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) Environmental Focal Points Training on Environmental Risks and Emergency Preparedness “Toxic Industrial Material Reconnaissance & Assessment Course” (TIMRAC)
This training course aims at strengthening capacities of the OSCE SMM Environmental Focal Points in the area of environmental emergency preparedness with a view to reinforcing the safety and security of the SMM Mission members. The training will strengthen the knowledge and awareness of the EFPs on the type of environmental risks and emergencies that the SMM Mission members might face, and familiarize the EFPs with applicable safety rules, monitoring and reporting, and tools for rapid assessment. GFMC Contribution: “Wildfire Hazards Resulting from Collateral Damages of Armed Conflicts and Post-Conflict Threats by Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) and Land Mines”; 01-05 July 2019 Austrian Army, Vienna Penzing, Austria.

TIMRAC Course organizers (OSCE Secretariat and the Austrian Army) and the group of trainees and resource persons

Seminar to develop the concept of new proposals to reduce the risk of disasters in the Chernobyl zone
The seminar was organized by OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine on 31 October 2019 in Kyiv, Ukraine, jointly with the Regional Eastern Europe Fire Monitoring Center (REEFMC). During the seminar, the results of the OSCE project “Raising Radiological and Environmental Awareness in Belarus and Ukraine Affected by the Chernobyl Accident, with a Focus on Forest Fire Management”, implemented in 2016-2018, were presented to representatives of international organizations and stakeholders. In particular, the “Analysis of fire management legislation of the Republic Belarus and Ukraine, including in the Exclusion Zone and recommendations for their improvement”, the “Belarussian-Ukrainian-English fire management terminology for coordinated response to forest fires across the national border” and the “Guideline for fire fighters in the Belarusian and Ukrainian sectors of the Exclusion Zone of the Chernobyl NPP” were presented; 31 October 2019, Kyiv, Ukraine.

Participants of the seminar included representatives from OSCE, REEFMC and State Agencies of Ukraine (Ministry of Energy and Nature Protection, State Agency of Ukraine for the Management of the Exclusion Zone and the Chernobyl Radiation-Ecological Biosphere Reserve, State Emergency Service of Ukraine and the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kiev region) and Belarus (Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus, Gomel Regional Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Belarus, Polessky State Radiation and Ecological Reserve and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus). Photo: REEFMC.

Vienna Dialogue on Climate and Security
Initiation of a multilateral dialogue by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) in cooperation with the OSCE; with GFMC Keynote „Wildfire Crises, Environmental and Human Security: Towards creating fire-resilient landscapes and societies?”; 20 October 2021, Vienna, Austria.

The GFMC presentation addressed, among other, the OSCE Ministerial Council Decision 6/14 ”Enhancing Disaster Risk Reduction” reference to OSCE’s mandate to strengthen the exchange of knowledge and experience, building upon the OSCE’s good practices in disaster risk reduction gained particularly in the field of fire management.

Strengthening Responses to Security Risks from Climate Change in South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia
Climate change can impact security in a number of ways. While it does not directly cause conflict, it interacts with other pressures to influence security landscapes, including population growth, unequal economic development and resource constraints. In other words, climate change acts as a risk multiplier. The OSCE project “Strengthening Responses to Security Risks from Climate Change in South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia” aims to reduce climate change-related security risks in the four project regions by raising awareness, developing capacities, and sharing knowledge within and among the project regions. It also aims to do so through the implementation of climate change adaptation measures in the geographic areas that are most vulnerable to climate change. In 2021 OSCE and GFMC, supported by Adelphi, initiated cooperation in the Western Balkans and the South Caucasus. The South Caucasus projects address bilateral fire management cooperation between Armenia / Georgia and Azerbaijan / Georgia (kickoff: 20 October 2021). The project contributes to the implementation of the various provisions of the OSCE Ministerial Council Decision No.3/21 on “Strengthening co-operation to address the challenges caused by climate change” that was adopted on 3 December 2021 in Stockholm.

Cross-regional Workshop “Wildfire Management for Enhancing Climate Resilience and Security”

The OSCE-led workshop was organized within the framework of the OSCE project “Strengthening responses to security risks from climate change in South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia” with the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC), the Regional Fire Monitoring Center (RFMC) and the Berlin-based think-tank Adelphi. The workshop brought together climate change and emergency management experts from the South Caucasus and the South-Eastern Europe regions as well as from Mongolia to raise awareness and strengthen capacities on wildfire management and climate resilience and their implications for security; to enable an exchange of experiences and best practices among participants on these issues; and to identify opportunities for further co-operation on wildfire management to enhance climate resilience and climate adaptation; 4-7 December 2022, Skopje, North Macedonia.

Participants of the workshop – visit at the Crisis Management Center, Republic of North Macedonia. Photos: © OSCE

UNECE Seminar “Assessments of the Environmental Damage Resulting from the Russian Invasion of Ukraine”
Agencies of Ukraine and – among other – OECD and OSCE met with the purpose: Numerous actors, at the international and local levels, have undertaken impact assessments in Ukraine to gather information on the environmental effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. To obtain a meaningful picture of the impact there is a need to foster coherence between the approaches. The seminar introduced some of these assessments with a focus on the substantive results and methodological approaches applied in carrying them out. It provided an opportunity to discuss how to enhance coherence between the assessments and to use them to inform policies for the post-war green reconstruction and recovery of Ukraine. OSCE presented the project “Assessment of environmental impacts of the war against Ukraine and options for remediation”. REEFMC and GFMC are responsible for the component “Rural Environment – Landscape Fires”; 16 February 2023, Geneva, online.

Planting cabbage between two destroyed tanks – a sign of hope?

OSCE Project Briefing “Assessment of environmental impacts of the war against Ukraine and options for remediation”
Aim of the OSCE project is to assess the environmental impacts of the war and contribute to the remediation of the damages to and the degradation of the environment in Ukraine, in order to address and reduce future safety and security risks. REEFMC and GFMC are responsible for the component “Rural Environment – Landscape Fires”; 03 March 2023, OSCE, Vienna, Hofburg.

OSCE Contribution to the 8th International Wildland Fire Conference; Porto, Portugal
(16-19 May 2023)
Esra Buttanri, Senior Climate Change Adviser at the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities at the OSCE, contributed to two key sessions:

Session “Landscape Fire Governance Framework” – with participation of GFMC (J.G. Goldammer) and OSCE (E. Buttanri)

Assessment of environmental impacts of the war against Ukraine and options for remediation
Presentation of the 12-month assessment review report within the framework of the project “Assessment of environmental impacts of the war against Ukraine and options for remediation”. Aim of the OSCE project is to assess the environmental impacts of the war and contribute to the remediation of the damages to and the degradation of the environment in Ukraine, in order to address and reduce future safety and security risks. REEFMC and GFMC are responsible for the component “Rural Environment – Landscape Fires”; OSCE, Vienna, Austria, 30 June 2023.

OSCE High-Level Conference on Climate Change
The GFMC contribution covered climate change, security and wildfire risk management; OSCE, Vienna, Austria, 07 July 2023.

2023 Prague Forum

The 2023 Prague Forum on the Economic and Environmental Dimension of the OSCE was held under the theme “Promoting security and stability in the OSCE area through achieving sustainable development, and resilient and inclusive economic growth”, with GFMC and RFMRC-CAR contributions on cross-boundary fire management in OSCE Participating States; 14-15 September 2023, Prague, Czech Republic, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Czernin Palace.

The 2023 Prague Forum reflected the security problems in the 57 Participating States related to climate change and conflicts. GFMC reported about achievements, current and future activities in cross-boundary fire management. Lower photo (from left): J.G. Goldammer (GFMC Director), S. Bayarsaikhan (Deputy Minister for Justice and Home Affairs of Mongolia), H.M. Schmid (OSCE Secretary General), R. Ernst (Deputy Coordinator, Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities [OCEEA]). G. Apuzzo (OCEEA), T. Mijiddorj (Ambassador Mongolia) and B. Jargalsaikhan (Independent Authority against Corruption of Mongolia). ©Photos: MZV ČR / MFA CZ.

South East Europe: Cross-boundary cooperation in Wildfire Protection of Protected Areas
Fire management training of park management authorities and the civil emergency response units of the municipalities in the protected areas of Korab-Koritnik, Mavrovo, Shar Mountain and Sharri/Šara on fire preparedness and response by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA), conducted by the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) and Regional Fire Monitoring Center for South-Eastern Europe and South Caucasus (RFMC). Field training was conducted in Mavrovo, North Macedonia, on 9-10 October 2023, followed by early warning of wildfire training in Skopje on 12 October 2023; 09-12 October 2023, Mavrovo and Skopje, North Macedonia.

Back

 

/by

Antalya Training 2014 Photo Gallery

OSCE and ENVSEC Fire Management
Support in the South Caucasus

Regional Fire Management Training for the South Caucasus and Western Balkans
Fire Management Training Center, Antalya, Turkey, 15-17 October 2014

Regional Fire Management Training for the South Caucasus and Western Balkans
The course is held in the frame of the OSCE/ENVSEC project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”; Fire Management Training Center, Antalya, Turkey, 15-17 October 2014.

Additional Impressions from the Training Course


Forest fire exercise with heliborne hotshot crew, demonstration of hand tools and group photos of the firefighter trainers and resource persons from Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, FYR of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, United States of America & GFMC / OSCE staff.
Photos: Kadir A. Coskuner.

Additional Impressions from the Training Course


Opening Session

 Host country greetings by Dr. Bilgili  Opening by GFMCDr. Zibtsev (Ukraine)         
    R. Bersch, U.S. Forest Service

Breakout Group Discussion Field demo coordinator

Aerial suppression demo

   Demonstration of equipment
 Firefigthers and course instructors


The training course group – click for enlargement

/by

Regional Southeast Europe / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network

A Region of the Global Wildland Fire Network

The demographic, socio-economic and political changes in many countries of Southeast Europe in the early 1990s, particularly on the Balkan, have resulted in an increase of wildfire occurrence, destabilization of fire management capabilities and increased vulnerability of ecosystems and human populations. The main reasons for this development include the transition from centrally planned to market economies, national to regional conflicts, the creation of new nations, involving political tensions and war, land-use changes, and regional climate change towards the increase of extreme drought occurrence. New solutions are required to address the increasing fire threat. Cooperation in fire management between the South East European countries, notably on the Balkan, is promoted by the Regional Southeast Europe Wildland Fire Network.

/by

Regional Southeast Europe / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network

A Region of the Global Wildland Fire Network

Introduction and Network Coordination

The first proposal for the formation of a regional network in SE Europe, particularly on the Balkan, was initially discussed by the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) in June 2002 to promote cooperation in wildland fire research and management under a “South East European Fire Management Network” (SEEFIRE). Envisaged participating countries included Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, and Slovenia. The SEEFIRE Network intended to address the problem of wildland fires (forest fires and fires in other vegetation types) that are increasingly observed in the SE European transition countries. SEEFIRE would establish an interactive network of institutions of all countries listed below that are involved in the prevention and control of wildland fire. At the occasion of the International Scientific Conference “Fire and Emergency Safety During the XXI Century – The Course of Europe” (31 October – 1 November 2002, Sofia, Bulgaria) the GFMC the network formation was discussed with representatives of the Balkan Region.

 In 2004 the “ECE/FAO International Conference on Management of Forest Fire Emergencies and International Cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean, Balkans and adjoining Regions of the Near East and Central Asia” was held in Turkey (for details: See Regional Central Asia Wildland Fire Network) and provided an opportunity to clarify detailed objectives and modus operandi of the “Regional Balkan Wildland Fire Network” operating under the auspices of UNISDR.

 On 4-5 April 2005 the Republic of Macedonia hosted the International Technical and Scientific Consultation “Forest Fire Management in the Balkan Region”. The conference was sponsored by the UNISDR Wildland Fire Advisory Group / Global Wildland Fire Network through its Coordinator and Secretariat, the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC). Funding of the consultation was provided by the German Foreign Office (represented by the GFMC) and contributions by the participating and contributing countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, North Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Turkey). In the meeting it was decided to expand the current focus on the Balkan Region to a “Regional South East European Wildland Fire Network” and invited countries adjoining to the Balkan region to cooperate.

 In June 2006 the GFMC proposed to the Council of Europe (CoE),European and Mediterranean Major Hazards Agreement (EUR-OPA) (Open Partial Agreement on the Prevention of, Protection Against, and Organisation of Relief in Major Natural and Technological Disasters), to include the Caucasus region to the network. This suggestion was supported by the GFMC report included in the findings of the OSCE-led Environmental Assessment Mission to Fire-Affected Areas in Nagorno-Karabakh, in Fulfillment of the UNGA Resolution A/RES/60/285 “The Situation in the Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan” (7 September 2006). Consequently the network was re-named “Regional Southeast Europe / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network”.

In 2010 GFMC and the Council of Europe (CoE / EUR-OPA) supported the establishment of the Regional Fire Monitoring Center for the Southeast Europe / Caucasus Region:

Network Coordinator

Prof. Dr. Nikola Nikolov
Head of Regional Fire Monitoring Center (RFMC)
str. Rimska No.11b
1000 Skopje, R. of N. Macedonia

South Caucasus Sub-Regional Office

Mrs. Nino Malashkhia
GFMC Representative in the South Caucasus
Odesa str. 10
Tbilisi
Georgia
e-mail: Nino.malashkhia @ geo.org.ge

Back

/by

Regional Southeast Europe / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network

A Region of the Global Wildland Fire Network

Regional Network Meetings and Outreach Activities

Workshops „Developing a joint Co-operation Strategy and an Implementation Plan for Wildfire Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”
Workshop held in the frame of the activity “Climate Change and Security in Northern Armenia and Southern Georgia” (OSCE project “Strengthening Responses to Security Risks from Climate Change in South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia”, with GFMC support; 24-25 October 2023, Tbilisi, Georgia.

Workshop held in the frame of the activity “Climate Change and Security in North-west Azerbaijan and North-east Georgia”, with GFMC support; 25 October 2023, Tbilisi, Georgia.

South East Europe: Cross-boundary cooperation in Wildfire Protection of Protected Areas
Fire management training of park management authorities and the civil emergency response units of the municipalities in the protected areas of Korab-Koritnik, Mavrovo, Shar Mountain and Sharri/Šara on fire preparedness and response by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA), conducted by the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) and Regional Fire Monitoring Center for South-Eastern Europe and South Caucasus (RFMC). Field training was conducted in Mavrovo, North Macedonia, on 9-10 October 2023, followed by early warning of wildfire training in Skopje on 12 October 2023; 09-12 October 2023, Mavrovo and Skopje, North Macedonia.

Capacity-building Need Assessment Workshop of the programme “Landscape Fire Management in the Western Balkans” (LFMWB)
LFMWB is a programme on cross-boundary cooperation in landscape fire management, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia, implemented in the first phase 2022-2025 by the Regional Fire Monitoring Center for Southeast Europe / South Caucasus (RFMC) through the Regional Executive Agency (REA) FARMAHEM, financed by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and supported by GFMC; 20-21 December 2022, Skopje, North Macedonia.

Vivid discussion at the workshop on the core activities planned for 2023.

Cross-regional Workshop “Wildfire Management for Enhancing Climate Resilience and Security”
The workshop was organized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA), adelphi, Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) and Regional Fire Monitoring Center (RFMC) for SE Europe / Caucasus; 04-07 December 2022, Skopje, North Macedonia.

Participants of the workshop – visit at the Crisis Management Center, Republic of North Macedonia. Photos: © OSCE

Kick-off Meeting / Launch of the “Climate Change and Landscape Fire Management Programme in the Western Balkans”
With delay, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the kick-off Meeting “Landscape Fire Management in the Western Balkans” was convened by the Regional Fire Monitoring Center for Southeast Europe / South Caucasus (RFMC), FARMAHEM, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Western Balkans here refers to: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo* (*this designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence), North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia; Skopje (North Macedonia), 5-7 April 2022.

Regional planning workshop “Climate Change and Landscape Fire Management in the Western Balkans”
The workshop was conducted by the Regional Fire Monitoring Center for Southeast Europe / South Caucasus (RFMC) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), with GFMC backstopping and contribution “Climate Change and Landscape Fire Management – Global and Regional Challenges”. The workshop was the first preparatory consultation for a planned regional project (details to follow); Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia, 06-07 February 2020.

Over the two days three breakout groups developed recommendation on (I) Climate change and Landscape Fire Management – Policy; (II) Climate change and Landscape Fire Management – Forestry / Agriculture and Adjacent Sectors; and (III) Climate change and Landscape Fire Management – Cross-boundary Cooperation. Photos: Jurant Dika, RFMC.

Regional Workshop Landscape Fire Management in South Eastern Europe,

Workshop organized by the Regional Fire Monitoring Center For SE Europe / Caucasus (RFMC) and GFMC, on behalf of the Office of the Coordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, with the topics: (a) Review of the state and need for further development of national and regional early warning systems, fire management information systems and exchange of data and information at regional SEE level; (b) Review of national fire management systems: Current situation, policies and inter-agency cooperation; (c) Needs for future building and strengthening of volunteer firefighting services; (d) Strengthening national and cross-boundary fire management capacities for complementing and increase effectiveness of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in the SEE neighbourhood; (e) Fire management on terrain contaminated by unexploded ordnance (UXO) and land mines, and (f) Discussion on modalities for strengthening the regional co-operation on Fire Management;  Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia, 17-19 December 2018

Meeting between GFMC, RFMC and the Directorate for Protection and Rescue (DPR)
The meeting discussed the purpose of establishing such centers and their role in incorporating the scientific and expert knowledge, and for the purpose of promoting the prevention and management of fires. DPR expressed the support for this approach, as well as cooperation in the interest of the security and protection of citizens. It was also discussed about the upcoming workshop organized by the OSCE, GFMC and RFMC (Skopje, 17-19 December 2018), in which representatives of the Regional Protection and Rescue Department of Strumica will report fire management on the terrains contaminated with UXO; Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia, 17 December 2018

From left to right: DPR Director General Djaferoski, GFMC Director Prof. Dr. Johann Georg Goldammer and Prof. Dr. Nikola Nikolov, President of the Fire Protection Union of Macedonia and Director of the Regional Fire Monitoring Center (RFMC).
Photo: DPR


Fire Management Support Component for Georgia

Implementation of the Fire Management Support Component for Georgia in the frame of the regional programme Integrated Biodiversity Management in the South Caucasus (IBiS) (GIZ) and preparation of the project Fire Management Planning for target Protected Areas in the frame of the Support Programme for Protected Areas – Georgia (KfW) (J.G. Goldammer); Tbilisi, Borjomi and Dedoplistskaro, Georgia, 28 January – 03 February 2018.

Regional Consultation on Cross-boundary Cooperation in Fire Management
The consultation was held under sponsorship of the Council of Europe (CoE), Secretariat of the Euro-Mediterranean Major Hazards Agreement (EUR-OPA) (facilitator: GFMC); Republic of North Macedonia, 11 November 2016.

Opening of the Regional Consultation by the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, Mr. Mihail Cvetkov, followed by presentations and discussion with representatives of agencies from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia. Photos: RFMC and Gavriil Xanthopoulos

National Round Table on Fire Management, Republic of North Macedonia
National Round Table on Fire Management, Republic of Macedonia, held under sponsorship of the Council of Europe (CoE), Secretariat of the Euro-Mediterranean Major Hazards Agreement (EUR-OPA) (facilitator: GFMC); Republic of North Macedonia, 9 November 2016.


Vivid discussion at National Round Table on Fire Management hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy.
Photo: RFMC

Training Course “Enhancing Ground and Aerial Forest Fire Suppression Capacities in the Republic of Macedonia”
The training course was held as a joint course organized by the Regional SE Europe / Caucasus Fire Monitoring Center (RFMC), the U.S. Forest Service and the GFMC, with GFMC contribution introducing the “International Fire Aviation Guidelines and International Manual of Common Rules for Fire Aviation”; preparation of the National Round Table on Fire Management, Republic of Macedonia and the Regional Consultation on Cross-boundary Cooperation in Fire Management (to be held in Skopje, 09 and 11November 2016) under sponsorship of the Council of Europe (CoE), Secretariat of the Euro-Mediterranean Major Hazards Agreement (EUR-OPA); Republic of North Macedonia, 7-9 September 2016.


Air-ground coordination in wildfire suppression operations: Display of fixed-wing and helicopter aerial fire suppression capabilities at Skopje Airbase, training course and resource persons GFMC (J.G. Goldammer), RFMC (N. Nikolov), Serbia (V. Jovanovic), U.S. Forest Service (R. Kuehner and B.R. Warren). Photos: RFMC and R. Kuehner.

Islamic Republic of Iran: National Round Table on Fire Management Training Course on Integrated Fire Management
The First International Fire Management Week in Iran was organized in Mazandaran, Kelarabad, 9-12 May 2016, hosted by the Forest, Rangeland and Watershed Management Organization (FRWO). The week included (a) a National Round Table on Fire Management and (b) the introduction of the EuroFire Competency Standards and Training Materials in Persian language. The Fire Management Week was conducted by the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC), the Regional Central Asia Fire Management Resource Center (RCAFMRC) and the Regional Fire Monitoring Center (RFMC), Secretariat of the UNISDR Regional South East Europe / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network.

2016 ENVSEC Regional Meeting for South Eastern Europe (SEE)
The ENVSEC Regional Meeting for South Eastern Europe gathered the ENVSEC National Focal Points of the region as well as representatives of resource partners, academia, civil society and business. The theme “Forest Fires” was addressed in the Panel “Management of shared natural resources” by the head of the Regional SE Europe / Caucasus Fire Monitoring Center (RFMC); Tirana, Albania, 28-30 June 2015

Third Conference of the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Treća konferencija Platforme za smanjenje rizika od katastrofa Bosne i Hercegovine)
Organized by the Ministry for Security Bosnia and Herzegovina and United Nations the conference addressed the forest fire problem in the country and discussed recommendations of the Sendai framework in regards of forest fires, based on the inputs “Forest Fires with Accent of Early Warning” (Pozari sa akcentom na brzo upozoravanje) by the Regional SE Europe / Caucasus Fire Monitoring Center (RFMC; Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 02 December 2015.


Round table on forest fires

Workshop “Fire Danger Rating System for the South Caucasus”
The workshop “Fire Danger Rating System for the South Caucasus” was held in the frame and implementation of the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”; National Environmental Agency, Tbilisi, Georgia, 29-30 October 2015.

Workshop instructors and facilitators (from left to right) Bill de Groot (Canadian Forest Service), Catherine Nakashidze (ENVSEC Initiative / OSCE) and Mike Wotton (Canadian Forest Service) -Right: Example of a first product of the Fire Danger Rating System for the South Caucasus: Drought Code of 20 September 2009. Images: Courtesy OSCE

ENVSEC Workshop “Forest Fires in South Eastern Europe (SEE)”
On the occasion of the closing of the ENVSEC project “Addressing the Risks of Forest Fires in SEE” the workshop reviewed the regional report on forest fires in the SEE region by the Regional Fire Monitoring Center (RFMC). Participating countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia in Budapest, Hungary; Budapest, Hungary, 29 October 2015.

6th International Wildland Fire Conference
The 6th International Wildland Fire Conference was held with participation of member states of the UNISDR Regional SE Europe / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network; Pyeonchang, Republic of Korea, 12-16 October 2015.

  • Pyeongchang Declaration,Conference Statement, and Regional Statements (including regional session agendas, abstracts and posters of the Regional Wildland Fire Networks): https://gfmc.online/korea-2015.html

2015 Regional Meeting of the ENVSEC Initiative
The 2015 Regional Meeting of the ENVSEC Initiative in the South Caucasus included a report of the ENVSEC/OSCE/GFMC fire management project; Tbilisi, Georgia, 8-9 June 2015.

Georgia: Joint fire management meetings of ENVSEC and GIZ
Meeting with GIZ Programme “Sustainable Management of Biodiversity, South Caucasus” and in cooperation with the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”; Tbilisi, Georgia, 7 June 2015.

Meeting with the Ministry for Environment, Forestry Agency, on the National Fire Management Policy for Georgia and the implementation plan, an activity of the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”; Tbilisi, Georgia.

Aerial Fire Fighting Interoperability Workshop and Aerial Fire Fighting Conference 2015
An Aerial Fire Fighting Interoperability Workshop was convened by GFMC and RFMC on the first day of the Aerial Fire Fighting Conference 2015. the conference included the GFMC Contribution “Towards a Coordinated Approach in International Aerial Firefighting Missions: Results of the Interoperability Workshop” and the RFMC contribution “Ground to Air Firefighting Management”; Zadar, Croatia, 18-30 April 2015.

2014 Environment and Security (ENVSEC) Initiative Partners Meeting
The 2014 Environment and Security (ENVSEC) Initiative Partners Meeting included a OSCE/ENVSEC/GFMC project report “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”; Belgrade, Serbia, 25-26 November 2014.

GFMC-GIZ Georgia Mission Integrated Fire Management (II)
The third GFMC-GIZ Georgia Mission Integrated Fire Management was conducted in the frame of the GIZ Programme “Sustainable Management of Biodiversity, South Caucasus” and in cooperation with the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”; Dedoplistskaro municipality and Tbilisi, Georgia, 2-6 November 2014.

Regional Fire Management Training for the South Caucasus, Western Balkans and Eastern Europe / Central Asia
The second “Regional Fire Management Training for the South Caucasus, Western Balkans and Eastern Europe / Central Asia” was conducted in the frame of the OSCE/ENVSEC project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus” (J.G. Goldammer); Fire Management Training Center, Antalya, Turkey, 15-17 October 2014.


 

Forest fire exercise with heliborne hotshot crew, demonstration of hand tools and group photos of the firefighter trainers and resource persons from Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, FYR of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, United States of America & GFMC / OSCE staff. Photos: Kadir A. Coskuner.

Field study “Fire Management in UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage Sites and other Protected Areas”
The implementation of the field study “Fire Management in UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage Sites and other Protected Areas” was supported by the Council of Europe, Secretariat of the European and Mediterranean Major Hazards Agreement (EUR-OPA): Employing very high resolution EO images and fine fuel sampling methods, aimed at characterizing fuel properties in Mount Athos UNESCO World Heritage Site; and transboundary fire management on protected areas bordering Greece, Albania and FYR Macedonia; Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, and Ohrid, FYR Macedonia, 11-14 September 2014.

GFMC-GIZ Georgia Mission Integrated Fire Management (II)
The second GFMC-GIZ Georgia Mission Integrated Fire Management was conducted in the frame of the GIZ Programme “Sustainable Management of Biodiversity, South Caucasus” and in cooperation with the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”; Dedoplistskaro municipality and Tbilisi, Georgia, 27-31 July 2014.


Main theme of activity: Training of safe agricultural burning practices
(29 July 2014, Dedoplistskaro municipality)


Training of safe agricultural burning practices with local farmers (30 July 2014, Dedoplistskaro municipality)

GFMC-GIZ Georgia Mission Integrated Fire Management (I)
The first GFMC-GIZ Georgia Mission Integrated Fire Management was conducted in the frame of the GIZ Programme “Sustainable Management of Biodiversity, South Caucasus” and in cooperation with the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”; Dedoplistskaro municipality and Tbilisi, Georgia, 7 and 9-11 July 2014.

Georgia: Sixth National Round Table on Fire Management
Sixth National Round Table on Fire Management in preparation of the National Fire Management Policy for Georgia and the implementation plan, conducted in the frame of the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus” in Cooperation with the Ministry for Environment and Natural Resources Protection and Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ); Tbilisi, Georgia, 8 July 2014.

Business meeting of the coordinators of the Regional Wildland Fire Networks
The 2014 business meeting of the coordinators of the Regional Wildland Fire Networks of the Global Wildland Fire Network were held in tandem with the Joint WFAG meetings; Freiburg, Germany, 30 June 2014.

Joint Meetings of the UNISDR Wildland Fire Advisory Group (WFAG)
The 2014 meeting of the UNISDR Wildland Fire Advisory Group (WFAG) was heldin tandem with the meetings of the International Liaison Committee (ILC) and South Korea Conference Organizing Committee (SKCOC) for the 6th International Wildland Fire Conference, and the International Fire Aviation Working Group (IFAWG). The meetings were held in cooperation with and supported by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Forestry and Timber Section, Euro-Mediterranean Major Hazards Agreement (EUR-OPA), Council of Europe, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), United Nations University (UNU), International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), U.S. Forest Service, Korea Forest Service (KFS) and Korea Forest Research Institute (KFRI); GFMC, Freiburg, Germany, 28-29 June 2014.

International Conference “Reducing Forest and Agricultural Fires”
International Conference “Reducing Forest and Agricultural Fires as a Driver of Climate Change by Systematic Use of Biomass as a Source of Renewable Energy and for Reducing Wildfires and Unnecessary Agricultural Burning”, with GFMC / RFMC contribution “International and Regional Policy Initiatives to Address the Consequences of Wildfires, Excessive and Wasteful Burning of Agricultural Residues on Environment and Human Health, including Cross-Boundary Transport of Atmospheric Pollutants”; Bihac, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 28-29 April 2014.

ENVSEC Regional Meeting for South Eastern Europe
The 2014 ENVSEC Regional Meeting for South Eastern Europe included a presentation of the progress of the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”; Podgorica, Montenegro; 31 March – 1 April 2014.

Georgia: Fifth National Round Table on Fire Management
Fifth National Round Table on Fire Management in preparation of the National Fire Management Policy for Georgia and the implementation plan, conducted in the frame of the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”; Tbilisi, Georgia, 23-25 March 2014.

22nd OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum
22nd OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum “Responding to Environmental Challenges with a View to Promoting Cooperation and Security in the OSCE Area”, with GMFC contribution to Panel III “Improving environmental security: How can we reduce natural disaster risks? Lessons learned”; donour negotiations for the Phase III of the OSCE-ENVSEC Project “Enhancing National Capacities on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”; the proposed project “Improving cooperation on suppression of wildland fires in the Ukrainian and Belorussian parts of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone” and “Strengthening of Fire Management Capabilities in Mongolia and Selected Central Asian Countries (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan) through the Establishment of a Regional Central Asia Fire Management Resource Center”; OSCE Headquarters, Vienna, 27-28 January 2014

UNECE/FAO Regional Forum on Cross-boundary Fire Management (United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, 27-29 November 2013
UNECE/FAO Regional Forum on Cross-boundary Fire Management, organized by the UNECE/FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire through its Coordinator – the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC), Germany, and supported by the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).


Participants of the UNECE/FAO Regional Forum on Cross-boundary Fire Management
Palais des Nations, Geneva, 28-29 November 2013

Armenia: National Training for Trainers in Fire Management and Third National Round Table for developing a National Fire Management Policy (Yerevan, Armenia, 20-22 August 2013
National Training for Trainers in Fire Management and Third National Round Table for developing a National Fire Management Policy for Armenia, a contribution of Phase III of the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus” through GFMC and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).


Participants of the EuroFire Training of Trainers


Third National Round Table on Fire Management, co-chaired by General Vrezh Gabrielyan (Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Armenia, Rescue Service) and GFMC

Ceremony of Green Star Awards 2013 (Geneva, Switzerland, 2 September 2013
General Assembly and 20th Anniversary of Green Cross International (GCI): Ceremony of Green Star Awards of GCI with United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to awardees of the Global Wildland Fire Network Nikola Nikolov (Regional Southeast Europe Fire Monitoring Center, Macedonia), Sundar P. Sharma (UNISDR Regional South Asia Wildland Fire Network, Nepal) and Sergiy V. Zibtsev (Regional Eastern European Fire Monitoring Center, Ukraine).

Wildfire Green Stars Nikolov, Sharma, Zibtsev with GFMC Chief Goldammer
Sundar P. Sharma and Sergiy Zibtsev
Nikola Nikolov with trophy
Wildfire Green Stars with President Mikhail Gorbatchev
President Mikhail Gorbatchev and GFMC Director J.G. Goldammer listening to the laureates Presidents Mikhail Gorbatchev and Lech Wałęsa addressing the audience

Greece: National Round Table on Fire Management “Sharing Responsibilities and Resources at Economically Difficult Times”(Evgenideio Conference Center, Athens, Greece, 14 May 2013)
The National Round Table on Fire Management “Sharing Responsibilities and Resources at Economically Difficult Times” was held under the co-auspices of the Hellenic Agricultural Organization “Dimitra”, General Secretariat for Civil Protection, General Secretariat of Forests, General Secretariat of the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, and the UNECE/FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire; supported by Council of Europe and Maria Tsakos Foundation.

Opening and moderation by Gavriil Xanthopoulos (Dimitra); presentation of GFMC on Mediterranean Fire Problems and the Initiative of the Tsakos Foundation in the follow-up of the wildfires in Chios (August 2012)

Workshop “Defense of Villages, Farms and Other Rural Assets against Wildfires”(European Center of Forest Fires,National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece, 13 May 2013)
The workshop “Defense of Villages, Farms and Other Rural Assets against Wildfires: Guidelines for Rural Populations, Local Community and Municipality Leaders in the Balkan Region”was supported by Council of Europe, the Regional Fire Monitoring Center SE Europe / Caucasus (RFMC), Regional Eastern European Fire Monitoring Center (REEFMC) and the UNECE/FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire.


Members of the Guidelines Review Workshop. From right to left (double-click for enlarging the photo):
Andrey Eritsov (Russia, UNECE/FAO ToS Forest Fire), Ioannis Mitsopoulos (ECFF/GFMC), Ertugrul Bilgili (Turkey, UNECE/FAO ToS Forest Fire), Gavrill Xanthopoulos (Greece, UNECE/FAO ToS Forest Fire), Alexander Dimitrakopoulos (Greece, Aristotelion University, Thessaloniki), Johann G. Goldammer (GFMC, UNECE/FAO ToS Forest Fire), Sergiy Zibtsev (Ukraine, REEFMC, UNECE/FAO ToS Forest Fire), Milt Statheropoulos (ECFF), Nikola Nikolov (RFMC, UNECE/FAO ToS Forest Fire), Manina Dourali (Greece, Groovy Graphics), Goran Videc (Croatia, UNECE/FAO ToS Forest Fire), Sofia Karma (ECFF), Foivos Stamboliadis (Greece, General Secretariat for Civil Protection).

Aerial Firefighting Europe: International Conference and Exhibition (Aix-en-Provence, France, 10-11 April 2013)
Aerial Firefighting Europe: International Conference and Exhibition, cosponsored and under the co-auspices of GFMC / UNISDR Wildland Fire Advisory Group / International Fire Aviation Working Group (IFAWG), with participation of members of the UNECE/FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire and GFMC contribution “International Cooperation in Fire Management: Political and Ground-to-Aerial Perspectives”and RFMC contribution “Operations Aspects in Macedonia”.

GFMC Visit at SDIS-13, Marseille
GFMC Visit at SDIS-13, Marseille

Opening Address by GFMC

Joint Presentation by Avialesookhrana and GFMC
Tom Harbour, U.S. Forest Service, Fire and Aviation Management

Representatives of the Eastern European and SE Europe / Caucasus Fire Monitoring Centers in the Media

Follow-up of the Conference “Our Response to Wildfire Threat – Working together for a better Chios”(Chios, Greece, 25-28 February 2013)
Phase I of field implementation of the follow-up of the Conference “Our Response to Wildfire Threat – Working together for a better Chios” (held 15-16 October 2012 by the Maria Tsakos Foundation, sponsored by the Minister of Mercantile Marine and Island Policy of Greece, and in cooperation of the Regional Prefecture of Chios Island, with GFMC contribution “United Nations Partnerships in Strengthening the Role of Civil Society in Fire Management”, presented on behalf of the UN Secretary General, BAN Ki-moon, and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs).

The destruction of mastic trees owned by small holders on Chios has caused major problems for the local economy and resulted in extremely difficult situations of family enterprises concerned.
Photos: GFMC / Mitsopoulos

International Symposium on Strategy Development of Advanced Forest Fire Policy and Organization (Seoul, Republic of Korea, 15 January 2013)
The “International Symposium on Strategy Development of Advanced Forest Fire Policy and Organization” was hosted by the Korea Forest Research Institute (KFRI), supported by the Korea Forest (KFS), the UNECE/FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire, and GFMC, and included participation of the Regional Southeast Europe / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network.


Armenia: Second National Round Table for developing a National Fire Management Policy for Armenia (Yerevan, Armenia, 3 December 2012)
The Second National Round Table for developing a National Fire Management Policy for Armenia, was a contribution of Phase III of the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus” through GFMC and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), in cooperation with the UNECE/FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire.

Round Table participants included representatives of all agencies and civil society stakeholders concerned.

Development of “Guidelines for the Defense of Rural Populations, Settlements and other Assets Against Wildfires and Smoke Pollution for the EECCA Region”(Skopje, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, 9 November 2012)
The First Regional Workshop on the Development of “Guidelines for the Defense of Rural Populations, Settlements and other Assets Against Wildfires and Smoke Pollution for the EECCA Region” was convened by GFMC, ECFF and RFMC, funded by the Council of Europe and supported by members of the UNECE/FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire.


Heavy brainstorming in Skopje

Conference “Our Response to Wildfire Threat – Working together for a better Chios”(Omireion Cultural Center and Maria Tsakos Foundation, City of Chios, Chios, Greece, 15-16 October 2012)
Conference “Our Response to Wildfire Threat – Working for a better Chios”, organized by the Maria Tsakos Foundation, sponsored by the Minister of Mercantile Marine and Island Policy of Greece, and in cooperation of the Regional Prefecture of Chios Island; with GFMC contribution “United Nations Partnerships in Strengthening the Role of Civil Society in Fire Management”, presented by J.G. Goldammer on behalf of the UN Secretary General, BAN Ki-moon, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and the UNECE/FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire.




Impressions of the wildfire of August 2012: Fire-affected highland forests and the fire-endangered Nea Moni Monastery (UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site). Captain Panagiotis Tsakos and Johann G. Goldammer addressing the conference

International Seminar on “Forest Fire Management – Experiences and Lessons Learned”(Belgrade, Republic of Serbia, 10-11 October 2012)
International Seminar on “Forest Fire Management – Experiences and Lessons Learned”. A seminar to exchange and share knowledge and experiences regarding open land and forest fires management in the countries of the South Eastern Europe and the evaluate the 2012 fire season; organized by the Emergency Management Department, Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia, with the Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Initiative (DPPI) and the Danish Emergency Management Agency (DEMA); with GFMC contribution through the UNISDR Regional SE Europe / Caucasus Fire Monitoring Center (RFMC) and the UNECE/FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire.

Azerbaijan: Fire management training course, national forest fire exercise and Second National Round Table on Fire Management (Baku, Gabala, and field sites in Azerbaijan, 22-28 September 2012)
Fire management training course, national forest fire exercise and Second National Round Table on Fire Management, for developing a National Fire Management Policy for Azerbaijan, a contribution of Phase III of the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus” through GFMC and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), with participation of members of the UNECE/FAO team of Specialists on Forest Fire.









Impressions from the Azerbaijan Fire Management Week 2012: Training, Community Round Table and 2nd National Round Table on Fire Management

Joint meetings of the Global Wildland Fire Network (GFMC, Freiburg, Germany, 29 June – 3 July 2012)
The major groups active in global wildland fire included the Global Wildland Fire Network / UNISDR Wildland Fire Advisory Group (WFAG), the International Liaison Committee (ILC) of the 6th International Wildland Fire Conference (South Korea, 2015), the International Fire Aviation Working Group (IFAWG), with participation of members of the UNECE/FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire, including the Regional SE Europe / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network.

Group photo of WFAG 2012 – some attendees missing due to early departure. (Photo: GFMC / K. Goldammer)


Workshop “International Response to Major Natural and Man-made Disasters: The Role of the OSCE”(Vienna, Austria, 17 September 2012)
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) Workshop “International Response to Major Natural and Man-made Disasters: The Role of the OSCE”included a GFMC contribution “Enhancing National and Regional Capacities on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction”.

Workshop “Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilient and Sustainable Development”(Tbilisi, Borjomi, Georgia, 30 May 2012)
The workshop “Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilient and Sustainable Development” for the South Caucasus Region (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia) included a field excursion addressing “Progress in Capacity Building in Fire Management at Community Level” in Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park.

Revisit of the forest site near Daba village, Borjomi, affected by wildfire in 2008.
General recovery by natural succession but some erosion and landslide threats visible

Fourth National Round Table on Fire Management in preparation of a National Fire Management Policy for Georgia (Tbilisi, Georgia, 29 May 2012)
Fourth National Round Table on Fire Management in preparation of a National Fire Management Policy for Georgia, conducted in the frame of the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Phase Two – Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”.


The 4th National Round Table was held at Goethe Institute, Tbilisi Georgia

Regional Meeting of the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) in the South Caucasus (Tbilisi, Georgia, 3-4 April 2012)
Regional Meeting of the ENVSEC Initiative in the South Caucasus, with GFMC / OSCE contribution on Phase III of the ENVSEC Initiative “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus” through GFMC and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).







Delegations of the South Caucasus countries Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia Attended the regional workshop, which was addressing the OSCE / ENVSEC Project on Forest Fire Management in the South Caucasus.

Conference “Post-Fire Forest Management in Southern Europe” (Thessaloniki, Greece, 27-29 March 2012)
Final Conference, Cost Action FP0701 “Post-Fire Forest Management in Southern Europe”, a network of researchers and practitioners who worked together between 2008 and 2012 in the field of fire ecology and forest management from all around Europe. With GFMC Contribution “Wildfires and post-fire problems in Southeast Europe, Caucasus and Middle East: Initiatives by the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) and the Regional Southeast Europe/Caucasus Fire Monitoring Center (RFMC) to support rehabilitation efforts and fire management capacity building” and “Assessing fuel hazard in Mediterranean forest types”.

Armenia: First National Fire Management Training Course, Forest Fire Exercise and National Round Table on Fire Management (Kapan / Yerevan, Armenia, 12-14 September 2011)
A first fire management training course, a national forest fire exercise and the first National Conference & Round Table on Fire Management was conducted in September 2011 in Armenia. This was a contribution of Phase II of the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”through GFMC and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)







National Fire Management Training and Exercise (based on EuroFire Competency Standards: https://gfmc.online/eurofire/index-11.html) in Kapan, and National Conference and Round Table on Fire Management (Yerevan)

Azerbaijan: Wildland Fire Assessment Mission and First National Round Table on Fire Management (Baku, Azerbaijan, 30 June – 6 July 2011)
A nationwide Wildland Fire Assessment Mission and First National Round Table for developing a National Fire Management Policy for Azerbaijan, a contribution of Phase II of the Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC) “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus” through GFMC and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) (J.G. Goldammer); Baku and field sites, Azerbaijan.








Azerbaijan wildland fire field assessment and National Round Table on Fire Management (Baku, 5 July 2011)

Regional Southeast Europe / Caucasus Fire Monitoring Center (RFMC) established
In 2010 the GFMC and the Council of Europe (EUR-OPA) supported the establishment of the Regional Fire Monitoring Center for the Southeast Europe / Caucasus Region (RFMC). The RFMC is based at the Faculty of Forestry, Republic of North Macedonia. The RFMC website was launched in December 2010.

Fire Management Training Course – Southern Caucasus Region (Borjomi, Georgia, 12-14 July 2010) and Second and Third National Round Table on Fire Management in preparation of a National Fire Management Policy for Georgia
The second Fire Management Training Course – Southern Caucasus Region was conducted in the frame of the ENVSEC / GFMC project “Phase Two – Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus”, followed by a workshop for representatives of local communities “Community participation in fire management”. Both events were conducted in Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park. These events were followed by the Second and Third National Round Tables on Fire Management in preparation of a National Fire Management Policy for Georgia) (15 July and 13 December 2010).






Some impressions of the Borjomi Fire Management TrainingCourse 2010

Advanced Regional Seminar in Wildland Fire Management (Antalya, Turkey, 1-4 March 2010)
An Advanced Regional Seminar in Wildland Fire Management was conducted by the General Directorate of Forestry (Orman Genel Mudurlugu, Ankara) in cooperation with and co-sponsored by Environment and Security Initiative (ENVSEC), the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) / United Nations University (UNU), Faculty of Forestry, Karadeniz Teknik Universitesi, (Trabzon, Turkey), the UNISDR Regional Southeast Europe Wildland Fire Network and the UNECE / FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire in Antalya, Turkey, 1-3 March 2010:


GFMC at the Opening Session

Prof. Bilgili explaining specialized forest fire fighting equipment



Fire specialists from 11 countries enjoying the exercise  Commander in Chief of the Turkish Firefighting Force: Mr. Nurettin Dogan

Advanced Seminar “Wildfires and Human Security: Fire Management on Terrain Contaminated by Radioactivity, Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) and Land Mines”
This seminar addressed consequences of wildfires and fire management on contaminated terrain and will be conducted in Kiev and Chornobyl, Ukraine, 6-8 October 2009, by the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) in the frame of the activities of the Council of Europe (CoE) and the joint project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus” (Environment and Security Initiative [ENVSEC]), the UNISDR Regional Southeast Europe / Caucasus and Central Asia Wildland Fire Networks and the UNECE / FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire.


Seminar group in front of the sarcophagus of Chernobyl Reactor 4

Field inspection of the contaminated forests in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ)

Security check at the entrance of CEZ  Visit of the Chernobyl Fire Brigade (below)

Regional Consultation 2008 of the UNISDR Regional Southeast Europe / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network
The 2008 meeting of the network was held at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, Skopje, Republic Macedonia, 4-6 December 2008. The main objectives of the meeting were the review of the fire situation in the region in 2007-2008 and the preparation for the 2009 Regional Seminar on “Fire Management on Terrain contaminated by Unexploded Ordnance (UXO), Land Mines and Radioactivity”.

Ukraine: Second National Round Table and Consultation on Irradiated Forests
The Ministry of Ukraine on Emergencies and Affairs of Populations Affected by the consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe convened a Round Table on “Reduction of Risk of Disaster from Wildfires in the Chernobyl Irradiated Forests”. The meeting was held on 6 October 2008 at the Ministry and cosponsored by Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Global Institute of Sustainable Forestry (U.S.A.) and the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC).

International Consultation on Fire in Irradiated Forests
An International Meeting on “Reduction of DisasterRisk from Catastrophic Wildfires in the Chernobyl Irradiated Forests” was held under the auspices of the National Agricultural University of Ukraine, Yale University, GFMC / UNISDR in Kiev, Ukraine, 25-28 July 2007.


Vice Prime Minister Dmytro Tabachnyk addressing the meeting

Discussion of a proposal to reduce release of radionuclide and airborne contamination by forest fires in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Reactor 4, covered by the sarcophagus

High wildfire hazard in a contaminated and insect-killed forest in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

Chernobyl scrap yard: Disposed helicopters and water tankers contaminated during the firefighting operation at the failure of Reactor 4

Chernobyl scrap yard: Disposed fire vehicles contaminated during the firefighting operation at the failure of Reactor 4

Regional Wildland Fire Consultation 2007
On 19-21 March 2007 the Regional Wildland Fire Consultation on the “Development of a Strategy on International Cooperation in Wildland Fire Management in the Regional South East European / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network” was hosted by the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) and the National Forestry Board, Ministry in Sofia, Bulgaria. The participating countries included Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Hungary, Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine (due to technical reason invited focal points from Greece, Slovakia and Azerbaijan could not participate in the meeting).



Participants of the Regional Wildland Fire Consultation

Network Meeting 2006
The next meeting of the network was held in conjunction with the 33rd Session of the FAO European Forestry Commission, Zvolen, Slovakia, 22-26 May 2006. The regional network coordinator together with the GFMC / Coordinator of the Global Wildland Fire Network presented an initial proposal for the development of a “Regional Strategy on International Cooperation in Wildland Fire Management in the Regional South East European Wildland Fire Network”.

EASTEX FIRE 2005
At the regional conference in Turkey the preparation of the “Eastern European, Near East and Central Asian States Exercise on Wildland Fire Information and Resources Exchange – EASTEX FIRE 2004” was launched. The exercise aimed at exercising international cooperation in managing a large-scale forest fire disaster which requires multilateral response (cooperation of ground and aerial fire fighting forces of countries of the Eastern Mediterranean, Balkan and adjoining regions of the Near East and Central Asia). The exercise took place in Haskovo, Bulgaria, 20-22 April 2005. Host of EASTEX FIRE 2005 was the Bulgarian Ministry for the Interior, National Fire and Emergency Safety Service.

Regional Scientific and Technical Consultation 2005
On 4-5 April 2005 the Republic of North Macedonia hosted the International Technical and Scientific Consultation “Forest Fire Management in the Balkan Region”. The conference was sponsored by theUNECE/FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire, theUN-ISDR Wildland Fire Advisory Group / Global Wildland Fire Network through its Coordinator and Secretariat, the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC). Funding of the consultation was provided by the German Foreign Office (represented by the GFMC) and contributions by the participating and contributing countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Turkey).



Participants of the International Technical and Scientific Consultation in Ohrid, Macedonia.

The results of the consultation included:

  • Recommendation to enlarge the Regional Wildland Fire Network, one of the six networks within the from the Balkan Region to Southeast Europe. The network is one of six networks within the region of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN-ECE) (see also: UNECE/FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire). It was recommended to include the participation of countries between Austria (NW), Georgia (NE), Albania (SW) and Turkey (SE), with Greece as a country participating also in the Regional Mediterranean Wildland Fire Network.

  • Recommendation to establish a network of country Focal Points, preferably with one representative of a government agency and a representative of the academia
  • Recommendation to support the network co-coordinators that are representing the main stakeholders involved (Mr. Nikola Nikolov, Macedonia, Research; Mr. Vladimir Konstantinov, Bulgaria, Forest Service; Mr. Dulijano Grum, Croatia, Fire Service) (initially nominated for a 1-year period)

Fore more details and participation see:

First Regional Conference
A regional “Conference on Forest Fire Management and International Cooperation in Fire Emergencies in the Eastern Mediterranean, Balkans and adjoining Regions of the Near East and Central Asia” was held in Antalya, Turkey, 30 March – 3 April 2004. The conference provided a forum for the exchange of information of forest services and fire services of the region and resulted in the release of the “Antalya Declaration on Cooperation in Wildland Fire Management in the Balkans, Eastern Mediterranean, Near East and Central Asia”:

Initial Discussion on the Foundation of the Regional Network
At the International Scientific Conference “Fire and Emergency Safety” (31 October – 1 November 2002, Sofia, Bulgaria) the following paper has been presented by the GFMC:

Back

/by

GlobalNet

Regional Southeast Europe / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network
A Region of the Global Wildland Fire Network

Advanced Regional Seminar in Wildland Fire Management

Antalya, Turkey, 1-4 March 2010

Picture Gallery

 


GFMC at the Opening Session

 


Commander in Chief of the Turkish Firefighting Force: Mr. Nurettin Dogan

 


Fire specialists from 11 countries enjoying the exercise

 


Prof. Bilgili explaining specialized forest fire fighting equipment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back

 

/by

Regional Eurasia and Southeast Europe / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network

Fire Management on Terrain Contaminated by Radioactivity, Unexploded Ordnance
and Land Mines in Temperate-Boreal Eurasia

LANDSCAPE FIRE BULLETINS AND SAFETY ADVISORIES DURING THE WAR IN UKRAINE

During the war, the aggression and partial occupation of Ukraine by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, which started on 24 February 2022, wildfires are occurring as collateral damages and purposely set. The Regional Eastern Europe Fire Monitoring Center (REEFMC) and GFMC are monitoring the situation. Landscape Fire Bulletins include updates on fires on the territory of Ukraine (in ecosystems, agricultural lands and in cities, including updated maps of active fires, updated fire statistics, maps and details of large fires). Safety Advisories have been issued to address the threats of wildfires burning on terrain contaminated with unexploded ordnance (UXO) and radioactivity. The maps show monthly accumulated locations of fires depicted by satellites.

The REEFMC provides three dedicated portals in English language:

Wartime Landscape Fire Bulletins

New Monthly Format of Landscape Fire Bulletins

WWF-REEFMC-GFMC Report on Forest Management on Territories Contaminated with UXO

In November 2022, WWF Ukraine published the report “Forest Management on Territories Contaminated with Unexploded Ordnance”, which has been written and produced by WWF Ukraine together with the Regional Eastern Europe Fire Monitoring Center (REEFMC) and Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) within the framework of the project “Supporting responsible forestry for sustainable development in Central and Eastern Europe”. The English summary was published in February 2023:

Obituary for Semen Oblomei

Readers of the websites of REEFMC and GFMC are aware of the engagement of REEFMC staff and students of the Institute of Forestry and Landscape-Park Management of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine (NUBiP). In June 2022, Semen Oblomei, a third year student of NUBIP, was killed in Donbass, Eastern Ukraine, in line of duty of defending Ukraine against the military aggression. Semen Oblomei has worked with Regional Eastern Europe Fire Monitoring Center (REEFMC) and participated as a volunteer in First Firefighting School of NUBiP in May 2021. In April 2021, Semen together with staff of REEFMC, established a fire resilient forest edge in Boyarka Forest Research Station of NUBiP – an activity of German-Ukrainian project RESILPINE (German / Ukrainian) in partnership with GFMC.

Monthly Maps of Active Landscape Fires in Ukraine

The monthly maps are derived from various satellite sensors – courtesy Orora Wildfire Detection and Monitoring from Space and other sources. Please find monthly maps embedded in the Ukraine Landscape Fire Bulletins above. The following maps show the summary map of 2022 and – as an example – the map of active landscape fires of March 2023.

This map shows the locations of wildfires and agricultural burning in 2022. The REEFMC utilized two different sources of remote sensing data to detect fires and map burned areas. The ORORA wildfire monitoring technology was used to identify ignitions. It combines different fire detection approaches provided by more than 20 satellites for a daily identification of fire locations. The total area of landscape fires in Ukraine during 2022 reached 755 600 ha. REEFMC revealed the following types of landscapes that were mostly affected by fires: Croplands (419 300 ha), forests (56 700 ha), and abandoned lands (273 900 ha). In total, about 20 000 fires were detected in 2022. They were mostly (50.3 %) burned within 60 km buffer zone built along a daily front line, while 42.3 % of all fires occurred in occupied territories. Largest areas affected by fires were in Donets (145 900 ha), Kherson (84 100 ha), Kyiv (70 800 ha), Zaporizha (65 400 ha), Luhansk (65 300 ha), Mykolaiv (47 800), and Kharkiv oblasts (42 500 ha). © REEFMC.

This map shows the locations of wildfires and agricultural burning in March 2023. All monthly maps of 2022 and 2023 are included in the Landscape Fire Bulletins of 2022 and 2023 (above). © REEFMC.

Locations of landscape fires in May 2023. © REEFMC

Locations of landscape fires in June 2023. © REEFMC

Locations of landscape fires in July 2023. © REEFMC

Locations of landscape fires in August 2023. © REEFMC

Locations of landscape fires in September 2023. © REEFMC

Safety Advisorie

Total fires depicted by satellite sensors in Kyiv Oblast, 01-15 March 2022. Source: REEFMC.

The bombardments and rocket attacks by Russian Armed Forces are causing fires in residential areas / cities and surrounding landscapes. Satellite-derived locations of fires in the map show the situation on 15 March 2022 NW Kiev and Irpin. Source: Orora.

Facebook SITREP of the General Staff of Armed Forces, Ministry for Defense, Ukraine, 23 March 2022, reporting about land mining by Russian Forces. 

Radioactive emissions from wildfires burning in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (ChEZ) on 11 March 2022, transport towards Ukrainian territories. Source: https://nubip.edu.ua/node/106588

Radioactive emissions from wildfires burning in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (ChEZ) on 16 March 2022, transport towards Belarus. Source: https://nubip.edu.ua/node/106588

Background Information

In 2013 the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) published a comprehensive White Paper directed to the United Nations and International Organizations entitled “Vegetation Fires and Global Change – Challenges for Concerted International Action”. This White Paper includes an analysis of dangerous wildfires affecting human security in the landscapes of Eurasia, including threats of fires burning on lands contaminated by radioactivity, UXO and land mines:


Ground and aerial impressions of UXO-contaminated territories in Germany: Advanced armoured and UAV technologies for safe prescribed burning and wildfire control.
Source: GFMC (Goldammer et al. [2012, 2016]; see references further down; project website [in German]). 

Safe Fire Management on Contaminated Terrain
In 2014 the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) commissioned the Report “”Best practices and recommendations for wildfire suppression in contaminated areas, with focus on radioactive terrain”” (Goldammer, J.G., Kashparov, V., Zibtsev, S., Robinson, S., Freiburg-Basel-Kyiv, 53. p.)

In 2018 the Regional Eastern Europe Fire Monitoring Center (REEFMC) published the pocket guidelines for fire management in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, a result of cooperative efforts between REEFMC, the Chornobyl Fire Management Agency and the U.S. Forest Service:

International Consultation on Fire in Irradiated Forests
An International Meeting on “Reduction of Disaster Risk from Catastrophic Wildfires in the Chernobyl Irradiated Forests” was held under the auspices of the National Agricultural University of Ukraine, Yale University, GFMC / UNISDR in Kiev, Ukraine, 25-28 July 2007.

Ukraine: Second National Round Table and Consultation on Irradiated Forests
The Ministry of Ukraine on Emergencies and Affairs of Populations Affected by the consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe convened a Round Table on „Reduction of Risk of Disaster from Wildfires in the Chernobyl Irradiated Forests. The meeting was held on 6 October 2008 at the Ministry and cosponsored by Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Global Institute of Sustainable Forestry (U.S.A.) and the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC).

Advanced Seminar “Wildfires and Human Security: Fire Management on Terrain Contaminated by Radioactivity, Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) and Land Mines”
This seminar addressed the consequences of wildfires and fire management on contaminated terrain and was conducted in Kiev and Chornobyl, Ukraine, 6-8 October 2009, by the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) in the frame of the activities of the Council of Europe (CoE) and the joint project “Enhancing National Capacity on Fire Management and Risk Reduction in the South Caucasus” (Environment and Security Initiative [ENVSEC]), the UNISDR Regional Southeast Europe / Caucasus and Central Asia Wildland Fire Networks and the UNECE / FAO Team of Specialists on Forest Fire.

International Conference “”Twenty-five Years after the Chornobyl Accident“”
The International Conference “”Twenty-five Years after Chornobyl Accident. Safety for the Future”” was held in Kyiv / Chornobyl, Ukraine, 20-21 April 2011. A joint presentation „”Needs for Development of Wildfire Management in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone“” was given by C.D. Oliver, S.V. Zibtsev, A.M. Hohl, J.G. Goldammer, J. McCarter, M.M. Petrenko and O.A. Borsuk.




Opening addresses of the Chornobyl Conference were given by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and Prime Minister of Urkaine, Mykola Azarov (top and middle), and the Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Yukiya Amano (bottom)

Regional Consultation Meeting “Environment and Security”
Regional Consultation Meeting: Initiative “Environment and Security”: Perspectives of Environmental Cooperation in Eastern Europe, with the participation of the Regional Eastern European Fire Monitoring Center (REEFMC), with inputs on fire management needs in contaminated forests; Minsk, Belarus (8 September 2014).

Letter of the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) directed to the Government of Ukraine
On 11 February 2016 the GFMC sent a letter to Prime Minister Yatsenyuk and suggested the further development of fire management capacities in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (ChEZ) (establishment of an innovative system of early detection of fires in the ChEZ and continuation of cooperation in developing fire management capacities in Ukraine between GFMC and Ukrainian partners) (11 February 2016)

Conserving, Enhancing and Managing Carbon Stocks and Biodiversity in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
Inception Workshop of the UNEP-GEF Project “Conserving, Enhancing and Managing Carbon Stocks and Biodiversity in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone” with the fire management component ; Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine (MENR) and State Agency of Ukraine on the Exclusion Zone Management, Kyiv, Ukraine (18 April 2016)

Kick-off of the OSCE Project on collaborative efforts in fire management in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone between Ukraine and Belarus
Consultation on the project “Improving radiological and environmental awareness in territories affected by the Chernobyl accident in Belarus and Ukraine with a focus on wildfire management” (2016-2018); OSCE Office Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine (18 April 2016)

First Coordination Meeting on Enhancing Fire Management Capacity in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
First National Coordination Meeting on Enhancing Fire Management Capacity in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, a cooperative meeting organized by the Regional Eastern European Fire Monitoring Center (REEFMC), the U.S. Forest Service and the GFMC, with GFMC contribution on the International Wildfire Preparedness Mechanism (IWPM) and the EuroFire Competency Standards; preparation of the National Round Table on Fire Management, Ukraine, and the Regional Consultation on Cross-boundary Cooperation in Fire Management (to be held in Kyiv in 2017) under sponsorship of the Council of Europe (CoE), Secretariat of the Euro-Mediterranean Major Hazards Agreement (EUR-OPA); Kyiv, Ukraine (22-23 September 2016)

Participants of the Coordination Meeting
Introductory remarks by Petro Lakyda (National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine), Johann G. Goldammer (GFMC), George Kent (Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the United State to Ukraine)
Introductory remarks by Sergiy Zibtsev (REEFMC)
Introductory remarks by Vitalii Petruk (Head of the State Agency of Ukraine on the Exclusion Zone Management) and Shelia Slemp (U.S. Forest Service International Programs)
Audience members from different ministries and agencies of Ukraine. Photos: REEFMC / NULESU

Bilateral Fire Emergency Response Exercise between Belarus and Ukraine
In the frame of the project Improving radiological and environmental awareness in territories affected by the Chernobyl accident in Belarus and Ukraine with a focus on wildfire management, a bilateral exercise addressing crossboundary fires burning on radioactively contaminated terrain was prepared and coordinated by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Regional Eastern European Fire Monitoring Center (REEFMRC) and GFMC (J.G. Goldammer); 17-18 May 2018, Gomel Oblast Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus, Gomel, Belarus.





The first joint table-top exercise of Ukrainian and Belarussian agencies responsible for fire management and emergency situations was conducted in Gomel, Belarus, under the auspices and sponsorship of the OSCE. Upper photos: Incident commanders from Belarus (left) and Ukraine (right) were supported by a team of moderators (blue vests), administrators (red) and observers / rapporteurs (yellow). Middle and lower photos: Evaluation session and group photo. Photos courtesy OSCE / Evgeniy Maloletka.

Regional Workshop Landscape Fire Management in South Eastern Europe
The workshop was organized by the Regional Fire Monitoring Center For SE Europe / Caucasus (RFMC) and GFMC, on behalf of the Office of the Coordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities. It addressed fire management on terrain contaminated by unexploded ordnance (UXO) and land mines; 17-19 December 2018, Skopje, North Macedonia.

Selected Significant Wildfires in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

A few examples of significant wildfires burning in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone between 2016 and 2020:

Satellite-depicted radioactive smoke transported generated by the fires burning in the Western part of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone on 4 April 2020 (upper), progress of the fires and burned area on 5 April 2020 (middle) and active fires burning in the so-called “Red forest”, the most contaminated forest close to the sarcophagus of Block 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, on 9 April 2020. Sources: Sentinel and Planet.

Recent Publications
The following publications describe a first and leading project devoted to develop safe prescribed burning techniques on terrain contaminated by Unexploded Ordnance (UXO), first published in 2012 (in German with English abstract) and again after termination of the project in 2016 in English, and since 2018 also available in three additional languages:

Hohl, A., A. Niccolai, C. Oliver, D. Melnychuk, S. Zibtsev, J.G. Goldammer, M. Petrenko, V. Gulidov. 2012. The human health effects of radioactive smoke from a catastrophic wildfire in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone: A worst-case scenario. J. Earth Bioresources and Life Quality 1, 1-34, ISSN 2221-1713.


Satellite images in May 2003 show numerous forest fires in and around the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone on lands with different contamination levels that bring radioactive smoke toward Kyiv city.

Zibtsev, S.V., Goldammer, J.G., Robinson, S., Borsuk, O.A. 2015. Fires in nuclear forests: Silent threats to the environment and human security. FAO Unasylva 66 (243-244), 40-51.

Interview of the Ukrainian Magazine FOKUS with Sergiy Zibtsev:

Special Issue of U.S. Forest Service “Fire Management Today” (FMT), Vol. 77 No. 1:

/by

Regional Southeast Europe / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network

A Region of the Global Wildland Fire Network

Institutions, Projects and other Wildland Fire Links

In the South East Europe / South Caucasus Region several major landscape fire management projects are underway since 2022:

Landscape Fire Management in the Western Balkans” (LFMWB)
LFMWB is a programme on cross-boundary cooperation in landscape fire management, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia, implemented in the first phase 2022-2025 by the Regional Fire Monitoring Center for Southeast Europe / South Caucasus (RFMC) through the Regional Executive Agency (REA) FARMAHEM, financed by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and supported by GFMC; 20-21 December 2022, Skopje, North Macedonia.

Strengthening Responses to Security Risks from Climate Change in South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia
This project of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is covering various activities in regional cross-boundary cooperation in fire management, e.g.:

Cross-regional Workshop “Wildfire Management for Enhancing Climate Resilience and Security”
Organized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA), adelphi, Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) and Regional Fire Monitoring Center (RFMC) for SE Europe / Caucasus; 04-07 December 2022, Skopje, North Macedonia.

On-site field implementation in partnership with the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC); 23-27 October 2023; Bolnisi, Dedoplistskaro and adjoining communities in Armenia and Azerbaijan; Tbilisi, Georgia.

Remote Sensing of Fires
EUMETSAT Workshop in Bulgaria 2009
The National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH) of Bulgaria and EUMETSAT organized a workshop «MSG Land Surface Applications: Drought & Fires“, Sofia, Bulgaria, 7-10 September 2009. The workshop provided a forum for exchange of advanced knowledge and experience between meteorologists, developers of satellite products and primary end-users of Meteosat Second Generation data for Land Surface Analyses related to the natural hazards of Drought and Vegetation fires. Experts in meteorological products developers, experienced forecasters, experts in satellite data interpretation and land surface analyses will attend the workshop.

Center for Wildfire Research
The Center was established at University of Split Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture (FESB) in cooperation with Split and Dalmatia County having the main task research and knowledge dissemination connected with wildfire prevention and management. The website is available in Croatian dedicated primarily to Split and Dalmatia County Holistic Wildfire Prevention Program, but also to various topics connected with information and communication technologies (ICT) application in wildfire prevention, early detection, management and post-fire rehabilitation and management.

Back

/by

Regional Southeast Europe / Caucasus Wildland Fire Network

A Region of the Global Wildland Fire Network

Regional and National Wildland Fire Reports

International Forest Fire News (IFFN) is an important
source of wildland fire information about more than
70 nations around the world.

Regional Reports

RFMC / REC National Reports 2015

National IFFN Reports

South Caucasus

Special Reports

Back

/by
WP-Backgrounds Lite by InoPlugs Web Design and Juwelier Schönmann 1010 Wien