Press "Enter" to skip to content

Tag: collaboration

Es geht nur gemeinsam: Neue Perspektiven für Waldbrandmanagement in Baden-Württemberg

Anlässlich des Starts des WKR-Projekts (Waldbrand-Klima-Resilienz) und der Gründung einer “Modellregion Waldbrandmanagement“ in Baden-Württemberg hat die Forstliche Versuchs- und Forschungsanstalt Baden-Württemberg (FVA) Medien- und Pressevertreter*innen am 25. September 2020 nach Bruchsal in die Landesfeuerwehrschule und anschließend in den Hardtwald eingeladen, um neue Wege im Waldbrandmanagement vorzustellen. Gemeinsam werden Handlungsempfehlungen für Waldbrandprävention und -Management entwickelt, denn die wachsende Gefahr für Wald und Vegetationsbrände stellen Waldbesitzer*innen, Forstverwaltungen und Feuerwehren vor massive Herausforderungen. In dem Bewusstsein der größer werdenden Probleme ist im Rahmen des WKR-Projekts in Baden-Württemberg eine Modellregion festgelegt worden, in der neue Ansätze des Waldbrandmanagements und Möglichkeiten der Kooperation aller betroffenen Akteure geschaffen werden.

Leave a Comment

Springtime in flames

and Alexander Held

What had already been predicted in 2018, became true.

Spring is too warm and too dry, again. The year 2019 had a hot start: during the first four months, more areas have been burned than during the entire 2018 across Europe. The Joint Research Centre’s European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) of the EU Science Hub recorded 1233 fires corresponding to a burned area of more than 250 000 ha by the end of April. In comparison, there were 1192 fires burning 181 000 ha during the whole 2018.

1 Comment

National Forest Inventories as a multipurpose tool for urban forests

Written by Itziar Aguinaga Gil

Urban environmental challenges require on-site environmental solutions. As such, green infrastructure is widely proposed as a feasible measure towards the resilience and sustainable development of urban areas.

Urban forests represent the back-bone of urban green infrastructure by connecting the rural and city interface, and they provide both environmental and social benefits given that an adequate implementation and management is in place. However, all efforts may fail if there are not consistent and universal tools to quantify and characterize the necessary factors involved in the practice, policy and decision-making process. That is why we should consider the potentials of integrating urban forests within the National Forest Inventory.

2 Comments

Coping with the aftermath of storm Vaia in North-East Italy

by Silvia Abruscato, Gherardo Chirici, Giorgio Matteucci, and Davide Pettenella
On October 27-30th 2018, the storm Vaia hit North-eastern Italy with peak winds of 200 km/h, which compares to a very strong hurricane, and very relevant rainfall. Vaia has not only been the largest single windstorm event in recorded history causing serious damages to the forests in Italy. The storm was also a singular event that has raised unprecedented public attention because it hit some of the most beautiful and most productive forests in Italy located in the Dolomites Mountains, where several UNESCO world heritage sites full of history, culture, and traditions are located. Finally, Vaia caused enormous economic losses: the spruce and fir dominated mountain forests in the region are stocking twice the average biomass per hectare and their growth rates are also approximately double of the Italian average.
After the first shock and quick response to the damages, it became clear that a “multi-actor collaboration” is needed to develop a strategic approach to deal with the aftermath. Consequently, on February 8th 2019, a national congress was held in the Belluno province in the heart of the damaged area to discuss among the Italian scientific and civil community the impact, management and response perspectives after the Vaia storm. The conference was organized by Università di Padova – Dipartimento TESAF, Fondazione G. Angelini, Comune di Belluno, and SISEF – Società Italiana di Selvicoltura ed Ecologia Forestale. Around 600 participants and a large media visibility demonstrated the exceptionally strong interest in the case. Presentations and video are available here.

2 Comments