Integrated Fire Management Voluntary Guidelines: Principles and Strategic Actions

Reference

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has issued guidelines for countries to manage the risk of forest fires. Forest fires can pose a great risk to people and the environment.

Integrated Fire Management Voluntary Guidelines

• It covers principles and strategic actions. This is FAO's latest publication, which updates the fire management guidelines first published two decades ago.
• This edition addresses current challenges posed by the climate crisis and emphasizes proactive strategies and preparedness.

Key Principles of the Guidelines

• Social and Cultural
  • Promote sustainable livelihoods through appropriate use and management of fire.
  • Improve human health and safety by minimising the adverse impacts of fire.
  • Use fire on lands owned by indigenous people and traditional rural communities as per community custom.
    • However, it should be made environmentally friendly in the present times.
• Economic: Maximise benefits and minimise losses from forest fires through an efficient integrated fire management programme.
• Environmental: Integrate climate change, vegetation and fire regimes into planning and management.
• Legislation and governance: All fire management activities should be based on a legal framework and supported by clear policy and procedures.

Objectives of the Guidelines

• To bring together key Fire Hub stakeholders to discuss and promote integrated initiatives, experiences and knowledge.
• To recognize the importance of integrating traditional knowledge and practices and scientific advances in fire management strategies.
• To promote collaboration and share best practices to enhance global forest fire resilience and reduce the negative impacts of forest fires on communities and the environment.

Key features of the guidelines

• Formulation of proactive strategies
• Integration of science and traditional knowledge
• Gender inclusion
• Strategic actions

What is forest fire

• Forest fire is mainly an unplanned fire. Incidents of forest fire have been observed in almost all continents except Antarctica.
• Through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976, forests have been included in the Concurrent List in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.

Main causes of forest fires

• Man-made causes: About 90% of forest fires are caused by humans. Leaving campfires unextinguished, throwing away burning cigarettes, deliberate arson, burning garbage in the wrong way and fireworks etc. are the main causes.
• Natural causes: Lightning, volcanic eruptions and high atmospheric temperature and dryness create favorable conditions for forest fires. Lightning is one of the main causes of forest fires.
  • Apart from this, climate change is increasing the atmospheric temperature at the surface, which has increased the percentage of carbon dioxide and spread of forest fires.

Main types of forest fires

• Crown Fires: In this, trees burn to their full length i.e. up to the top. These are the most intense and dangerous forest fires.
• Surface Fires: It affects only the surface of the forest area and causes burning of surface litter and debris. This is the most common fire which affects the forest minimally.
• Ground Fires: It is sometimes called underground or subsurface fire. Humus, peat and similar dead vegetation become quite dry and the fire in them is called subsurface fire. These fires grow very slowly but it is very difficult to completely put out or control this fire.

Effects of forest fires

• Loss of valuable timber resources
• Degradation of watershed areas
• Threat of extinction of biodiversity, plants and animals
• Global warming
• Loss of carbon sink resources as well as increase in the percentage of CO2 in the atmosphere
• Change in microclimate (climate of a particular small area)
• Effect on soil erosion and soil productivity
• Ozone layer depletion
• Loss of livelihood of tribals and villagers

Incidence of forest fire

• The incidence of severe wildfires is estimated to increase by about 50% by the end of this century. In addition, climate change-related environmental changes, such as increased drought, higher air temperatures and stronger winds, may cause fire seasons to become hotter, drier and longer.
• Currently, about 340 million to 370 million hectares of the Earth’s surface are affected by wildfires each year. When severe, wildfires can adversely affect sustainable development, threaten the livelihoods of communities and emit large amounts of greenhouse gases.

Forest Fire Prevention and Management

Efforts at National Level

• For its management, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has issued the National Action Plan on Forest Fires, 2018.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change oversees the prevention and management measures of forest fires under the Forest Fire Prevention and Management (FPM) scheme.
• In the amount allocated under FPM, the ratio of central and state funds in the Northeast and Western Himalayan regions is 90:10, while for all other states this ratio is 60:40.

International efforts

• The Global Fire Management Hub will be launched by FAO and UNEP in May 2023. It is supported by countries like Canada, France, Germany, Portugal, South Korea and the US.
  • It aims to unite the global fire management community and enhance national capacities to implement integrated fire management strategies.
  • About $5 million in funding has been secured to enhance national capacity for integrated fire management strategies.
• The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has called on global governments to adopt a new 'Fire Ready Formula'. It envisages spending 66% of the total budgetary allocation for forest fire management on planning, prevention, preparedness and recovery, while the remaining on response.