Regional Northeast Asia Wildland Fire Network
A Region of the Global Wildland Fire Network
International Forest Fire Symposium Commemorating the International Year of Forests 2011
and 2nd Pan-Asia & 7th North East Asia Wildland Fire Network Meeting
7-8 June 2011, Sol Beach, Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea
Rationale
Within the four regions of Asia that are belonging to the UNISDR Global Wildland Fire Network forest fires and other vegetation fires are increasingly impacting the environment and societies. The Northeast Asian Region, which includes the Korean Peninsula, the Far East of the Russian Federation, Japan and China, is experiencing increasing occurrence of forest fires with negative consequences on sustainability of ecosystems, biodiversity and forest productivity. The Central Asian Region, which includes Mongolia, Northern China, the Russian Federation (Siberia), and the Central Asian States (Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan), is affected by continental dryness, widespread illegal logging and increasing wildfires, which are threatening sustainable forest management and regularly resulting in regional smoke pollution. The Southeast Asian region, covering the members states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), is faced by impacts of excessive fire application in land-use change, notably in rain forest and peat biomes, as well as wildfires in seasonally dry forests. The South Asian region, which is including countries of mainland South Asia not members of ASEAN, is faced with increasing pressure of forest fires, particularly in mountainous terrain, with severe consequences of secondary disasters such as landslides, erosion and floods. Many countries within the four regions of Asia are partners in economic and cultural activities. Some of them are sharing common forest fire problems, including transboundary fires and smoke pollution.
Objectives of the Consultation
The International Forest Fire Symposium Commemorating the International Year of Forests 2011 aimed at progressing in the strategy on fire prevention and suppression since the large wildfires in 2000 in the Republic of Korea, to review post-fire restoration measures and to exchange information on preventing extreme fire disasters globally.
- Symposium proceedings (PDF, 10 MB)
- Symposium presentations (to follow)
Objectives of the Network Meetings
In continuation of the endeavor to enhance cooperation among countries in the Asia region aimed at sharing technology, expertise and data in fire management and in following up the conclusions and recommendation of Regional Session III of the 5th International Wildland Fire Conference Wildfire 2011 the network meeting aimed at strengthening the UNISDR Pan-Asia Wildland Fire Network by forming an Advisory Board and prepare the 2013 Pan-Asia Forest Fire Conference and the 6th International Wildland Fire Conference to be held in Republic of Korea in 2015.
