Annex 3: FAO work programme in fire management

Building upon the FAO hosted Ministerial Meeting on Forests (Rome, 14 March 2005), the 17^th Session of COFO (Rome, 15–19 March 2005) requested FAO:

• in collaboration with countries and other international partners, including the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, to develop a strategy to enhance international cooperation on wildland fire (para 28);

• to provide support for countries to develop and consolidate their national fire management systems and to build the technical and operational capacity required to engage in effective international cooperation (para 32).

It was further recommended that FAO:

• enhance its role in fire management, including through: (i) advocating fire management within the context of an integrated approach to forest management; (ii) promoting awareness that forest management is an effective means of fire prevention; (iii) underscoring the role of fire as a management tool in both agriculture and forestry; (iv) providing technical support for improved management of fuel loads in forests; (v) helping design and implement training, education and awareness-raising programmes on forest fire management, especially at the local level; and (vi) strengthening its efforts to monitor and manage information on forest fire management and disseminate such information, especially at regional and subregional levels (para 33);

• include forest fire management in its dialogue with the international assistance agencies of developed countries, with the World Bank and with the regional development banks (para 34);

• inform the fifth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) of the importance attached by the Ministerial Meeting on Forests and by the 17th Session of the Committee to international cooperation on forest fire management (para 35);

• continue its support for regional and national networks to manage fire as well as insects and disease, in collaboration with relevant organizations such as the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and the Global Wildland Fire Network, and further requested that FAO work with partners to develop voluntary guidelines on the prevention, suppression and recovery from forest fire (para 53).

The overall work programme and mandate of FAO were recognized. FAO and its partners have already initiated cooperation (e.g. ITTO, GFMC, UNEP-Global Resource Information Database (GRID)/UMD, TNC), but further strengthening and development are necessary.

Table 3.1 shows current and planned contributions of FAO to the strategy to enhance international cooperation in implementing the strategic actions for fire management. The main beneficiaries and partners are countries. Beneficiaries listed in this table are international actors potentially interested in cooperation towards developing collective solutions.

TABLE 3.1

Contributions of FAO

FAO activity or product	Objectives for joint use or joint activity	Key implementing partners	Primary beneficiaries (countries, UN agencies/ programmes, other international organizations)
Terminology	Compatible and consistent definitions/language	GFMC	All
Global Wildland Fire Assessments	Improved knowledge of the extent and impacts of fire on a range of ecosystems	GOFC-GOLD, UMD, UNEP, GFMC	All, but notably UNFCCC, CBD and science community (atmospheric sciences, global change…)
Information and data-collection and sharing	Systematic collection; archive and information sharing	GFMC and other stakeholders	All
Support to Regional Wildland Fire Networks	Strengthening of Regional Wildland Fire Networks	GFMC, UN ISDR/GWFN	All
Public/community involvement in wildfire prevention and use of fire	Guiding countries in developing community-based fire management capabilities	NGOs: TNC, IUCN, WWF	UN ISDR/GWFN
Monitoring	Global fire Information for resource management: transition from a research to an operational system, with an emphasis on protected areas	GOFC-GOLD, UMD, UNEP, GFMC	All, but notably UN ISDR/GWFN, CBD, UNCCD, TNC
Reporting	Fire management: global assessment 2006 and 12 regional fire management reports	UN ISDR Wildland Fire Networks, GFMC	All
Capacity-building; strengthening partnerships; training courses	Dissemination of standards, strengthening of international cooperation and implementation, particularly CBFiM	UNU, GFMC; TNC, IUCN, all partners will be invited to offer	UN ISDR/GWFN
Guidelines on fire management in temperate and boreal forests	Temperate and boreal forests	ITTO, CTIF, UN ISDR/GWFN	UN ISDR/GWFN
Fire management: voluntary guidelines. Principles and strategic actions	Framework of principles and strategic actions	USFS, GFMC and international expert group	UN ISDR/GWFN, including policy-makers, decision-makers and fire managers
Global strategy for enhancing international cooperation in fire management	Enhancing international cooperation in fire management	UN ISDR/GWFN, USFS, GFMC, TNC, other stakeholders	All, but notably UN ISDR/GWFN, CBD, UNCCD, TNC
Emergency response agreements – international, national and subnational	Providing templates and legal advice	UN ISDR/GWFN	UN ISDR/GWFN