Lessons from the Mediterranean: Why Active Management and Community Involvement are Key to Wildfire Prevention

Wildfire risk is a growing concern across Europe, driven by hotter summers and changing land use. For those of us dedicated to the stewardship of rural landscapes, finding effective ways to manage this risk is a priority.

A new report regarding fire management in Cyprus offers valuable insights that resonate strongly with the principles of traditional land management and community cooperation.

The report details the development of Cyprus's first "Integrated Fire Management" strategy. Rather than relying solely on suppressing fires once they start, this approach focuses heavily on prevention and the active role of rural communities in managing the land.

The Challenge: Land Abandonment and Rising Risk

Cyprus, much like parts of the UK, faces a significant threat from wildfires, with the number of recorded fires more than doubling in the past 15 years. The report highlights a critical factor driving this risk: land abandonment.

When rural areas are abandoned and traditional management ceases, vegetation grows uncontrolled. This leads to a dangerous build-up of "fuel" (dry biomass) around forests and communities.

The report concludes that supporting living rural landscapes is the only way to effectively reduce this vulnerability. This finding supports the long-held view that active stewardship - keeping people working on the land - is vital for conservation and safety.

Integrated Fire Management: Beyond Firefighting

The strategy developed in Cyprus moves away from a "suppression-dominated" approach. While fire engines and helicopters remain essential, the report argues they are not enough on their own. Instead, it calls for a holistic strategy that includes:

• Vegetation Management: Proactively managing the fuel load on the ground.

• Rural Development: Ensuring rural communities remain economically viable and resilient.

• Education: Teaching society to live with fire and understand the tools used to manage it.

Validating Traditional Tools: Grazing and Controlled Burning

Crucially for land managers, the report explicitly recognizes the value of traditional practices. It identifies that "agro-pastoralism" (farming and grazing) and traditional burning have key roles to play in modern wildfire management.

The strategy advocates for:

• Controlled Grazing: Using livestock to naturally reduce flammable vegetation.

• Prescribed Burning: The report states that the technical use of fire - often called prescribed burning - can be a "key element in prevention to reduce the intensity of large wildfires.

The report notes that these practices should be supported by a specific framework and funding, ensuring they are carried out by trained individuals to protect biodiversity. This mirrors the skilled work already undertaken by gamekeepers and farmers on our moorlands to create firebreaks and regenerate heather.

The Power of Community Collaboration

A standout feature of the Cyprus project was its method. It did not just hand down rules from above; it engaged over 100 stakeholders from 50 different organizations, including government agencies, researchers, and local communities.

To bridge the gap between different groups, the researchers used an innovative "serious game" called Pyropolis. This simulation allowed diverse groups - from fire chiefs to farmers - to play through wildfire scenarios together. It helped them understand each other’s roles and the necessity of cooperation.

The result was a shared vision that recognizes that protecting lives and ecosystems requires "horizontal" cooperation involving everyone from state planners to local landowners.

Takeaway

The findings from Cyprus reinforce a universal truth about rural conservation: a managed landscape is a safer landscape. The report confirms that abandoning land leads to increased danger, while active management - utilizing tools like grazing and controlled burning - is essential for resilience.

By valuing local knowledge and maintaining traditional practices within a modern safety framework, we can better protect our rural heritage and communities.

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