Forest Fires Adapting to Climate Change in the

Forest Fires : Adapting to Climate Change in the Mediterranean Nora Berrahmouni WWF Mediterranean Programme & Pedro Regato IUCN Mediterranean Cooperation Office Special Event : Fire and Climate Change 19 th Commission of Forestry (COFO) - Rome, 16 -18 March 09

Outline 1. Introduction 2. Forest Fires in the Mediterranean 3. The Burning Combination • Climate Change impacts • Socio-economic factors 4. Adaptation Options

Introduction Results from the Conference in Athens “Adaptation to Climate Change in Mediterranean Forests conservation & Management” Organized by IUCN Mediterranean cooperation, WWF Mediterranean Programme WWF Greece 14 -16 April 08

Forest Fires in The Mediterranean FAO (2007) – fire management global assessment 2006: “ Fire is the main cause of forest destruction in the countries of the Mediterranean basin. About 50. 000 fires sweep through 700. 000 to 1 million hectares each year” Portugal, 3 August 2003 Last 10 years average: 162. 500 ha Shrubs Forest stand NASA - MODIS Rapid response system

A Burning Combination : Climate Change Generally, 2 to 6 additional weeks of fire risk Giannakopoulos et al, 2005

A Burning Combination : Climate Change Extreme weather events q Less Water availability q Frequency, magnitude and severity of extreme weather events and impacts (i. e. large-scale, uncontrolled fires) Heat waves + strong winds = Ignition risk and rapid spreading of fire Drought periods = die-back processes + dry biomass /fuel accumulation Less humidity in forest biomass Heat & Drought Temperature Water Balance Wetter et al, 2007

A Burning Combination Socio-economic factors Land use change & poor management North : Rural abandonment (dry & dense biomass) & land use changes South : over-exploitation of forest land (overgrazing, breaking branches destroying structure of forests, provoking pests, sudden death of many trees)

Adaptation Options – Fire Risk Reduction Building Fire-smart landscapes Fire management strategies & policies ü ü ü Research on forest fire (dynamics; root causes; monitoring) Risk reduction & prevention Readiness Response Recovery Collaboration between all sectors & actors (i. e. Lebanon) FAO Fire Management Voluntary Guidelines

Adaptation Options – Fire Risk Reduction Building Fire-smart landscapes Participatory planning process: The most resilient landscape pattern –distribution of land uses – against major disturbances Addressing impacts of the wider environment

Adaptation Options – Fire Risk Reduction Building Fire-smart landscapes Incentives for benefits sharing Awareness raising – living with fire Initiatives on the ground coupled with provision of a wide range of benefits for rural societies

Adaptation Options – Restoration Forest Landscape Restoration “A planned process that aims to regain ecological integrity and enhance human well-being in deforested or degraded landscapes” • Ecological integrity is “maintaining the diversity and quality of ecosystems, and enhancing their capacity to adapt to change and provide for the needs of future generations • Human well-being is “ensuring that all people have a role in shaping decisions that affect their ability to meet their needs, safeguard their livelihoods, and realize their full potential”.

Adaptation Options – Restoration Forest Landscapes Restoration Beyond trees /forest stands/ property boundaries Active engagement & negotiation The maintenance of basic ecological processes Resilient habitats/species to large scale disturbances (i. e. fire) – – Diversity of life strategies (re-sprouting; dispersal biotic vectors (fruit species); etc) Diversity of habitats (mosaic-like; riparian systems) Diversity of interventions & benefits

Adaptation Options – Human Capital Building Mediterranean Cooperation Learning Med network balancing North & South Culture of continuous training, experiences exchange Mediterranean experts body q Assessments & monitoring of changes q Measures & policies Facilitate access to knowledge for decision makers, managers, users

Adaptation Options – Profile Med Forests Increase the perception of the values of Mediterranean Forests ü Demonstrate & market the wide range of good & services : social, economic & environmental ü Engage private sector, rural development sectors ü Countries to position Forests responsible management (in and outside protected areas) as a priority at national, regional, EU.

Contacts Thank You for Your attention Contact us at Pedro. Regato@iucn. org nberrahmouni@wwfmedpo. org pieter. vanlierop@fao. org Publication can be downloaded on www. iucn. org