Through the FRA 2000 process FAO is in the enviable position of closing out the 20th Century by instituting a process for the collection of meaningful fire data for developing countries. Even if the request for wildfire data on fire numbers, area burned, and causes falls short of expectations, at least the importance of regularly recording and evaluating such information will have been established with member countries. Strategic advantages accrue to countries when they regularly report, record, evaluate, and disseminate fire statistics on national, regional, and global levels. Examples have been presented in this report demonstrating that even the most basic annual information on area burned by wildfires can provide insights into making appropriate fire management program adjustments directed at more sustainable resource management.
It is apparent in observing the results of fire database development efforts like those enacted by Silva Mediterranea that individual country data needs can be met while still providing a consistent format in regional reporting. Also, the Silva Mediterranea process underscores the value of establishing the initial database with basic and essential information, with the realization that more complex requirements can be added at a later time. Another principle demonstrated by Mediterranean countries is that an effective fire database is dependent on countries developing an internal commitment to regularly recording and reporting fire statistics to satisfy national and regional needs.
Many developing countries may still not have a process in place for recording and reporting wildfire data. If that is the case, it would be highly desirable for FRA 2000 to implement its plan to produce a Special Report on Forest Fires documenting the effects of fires on forests during the last decade of the 20th Century. This Special Report could supplement available wildfire statistics with a narrative account of fire effects by Region. The Special Report could serve as an incentive for other countries to recognize the importance of adding their wildfire experiences to the worldwide database in the 21st Century.
