FAO Guidelines on Wildfire Management | 06 Aug 2024

Source: FAO

Why in News?

Recently, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released the updated "Integrated Fire Management Voluntary Guidelines: Principles and Strategic Actions."

• These new guidelines revise the previous FAO fire management guidelines from two decades ago to address current climate crisis challenges.

What are the New FAO Fire Management Guidelines?

• Integration of Knowledge:
  • The guidelines stress the importance of integrating science and traditional knowledge from Indigenous Peoples and local knowledge holders.
  • This approach enhances fire management decisions, helps in preventing wildfires, managing fire outbreaks, and restoring areas affected by severe burning.
  • Gender inclusion and diverse fire management knowledge are also promoted.
• Impact and Adoption:
  • Since the original guidelines' release nearly 20 years ago, many countries have developed public policies and training programs based on them.
  • The updated guidelines are expected to see broader adoption globally.

What is a Wildfire?

• About:
  • Also known as bush, vegetation, or forest fire, a wildfire is any uncontrolled and non-prescribed burning of plants in natural settings such as forests, grasslands, brushlands, or tundras.
  • It consumes natural fuels and spreads based on environmental conditions like wind and topography.
• Classification:
  • Surface Fire: Burns primarily along the ground, consuming surface litter like leaves, twigs, and dry grasses.
  • Underground Fire/Zombie Fire: Low-intensity fires that consume organic matter beneath the surface. They spread slowly underground, making them hard to detect and control, and can burn for months.
  • Canopy or Crown Fires: Spread through the upper canopy of trees, often fueled by high winds and dry conditions, and can be very intense and difficult to control.
  • Controlled Deliberate Fires: Also known as prescribed burns, these are intentionally set by forest management agencies to reduce fuel loads, mitigate wildfire risks, and promote ecosystem health. They are carefully planned and executed under specific conditions.
• Reasons:
  • Human Activities: Many forest fires are caused by human activities such as discarded cigarettes, campfires, burning debris, and other similar actions.
    • Increased urbanisation and human presence in forested areas raise the risk of accidental fires.
    • Poachers and illegal smugglers may set fires to distract forest officials or eliminate evidence of their activities.
  • Weather Conditions: Exceptionally hot and dry weather, particularly in southern India during early summer, creates conditions conducive to fire spread. High temperatures, low humidity, and calm winds increase fire risks.
  • Aridity: Above-normal temperatures, clear skies, and lack of rainfall in southern India lead to increased aridity, drying out vegetation and making it more prone to ignition and rapid fire spread.
  • Early Availability of Dry Biomass: Above-normal temperatures before the summer season have led to an early buildup of dry biomass in forests, including the flammable leaves of chir forests, increasing fire risks and intensity.

Way Forward - NDMA Recommendations on Wildfires Based on Best Global Practices

• Fire Suppression Risks: Relying solely on fire suppression increases fuel load and can lead to uncontrollable fires.
• Prescribed Burning: Must be carefully managed to prevent spreading; consider utilising organic forest material.
• Community Engagement: Involve local communities for forest stewardship and livelihood, enhancing ownership and reducing fire risks.
• Trans-Boundary Management: Forest fires do not adhere to political boundaries; management must be coordinated across borders.
• Risk Communication: Develop standardised, clear alerts including smoke/pollution levels to ensure accurate information during fires.
• Urban-Forest Interface: Implement building codes and manage construction materials to mitigate fire hazards in urban-forest areas.
• Commercial Areas: Ensure businesses and services in forest areas follow fire safety precautions and limit ignition sources.
• Training Local Responders: Train and equip local communities as first responders; consider remuneration for volunteer firefighters.
• Specialised Forces: Train specialised troops, similar to smokejumpers, to handle fires in remote areas.
• Recovery Efforts: Focus on ecosystem recovery and avoid monoculture; maintain seed banks for native plants.
• Utility Management: Place utilities underground or maintain them before fire seasons to reduce fire-related accidents.
• Firefighting Plans: Prepare action plans based on climate, terrain, vegetation, and water availability; include drought measures.
• Bioeconomy Development: Create functional value chains with community involvement to support livelihoods and control fires.