Silva Mediterranea

Over 90 years of Mediterranean forest management

Activities of the Working Group 1 of Silva Mediterranea and the Silva Mediterranea presidency

In the next few decades, climate change will play a role in the predicted increase of the burnt areas, as well as in the frequency, intensity and severity of the forest fires. For this reason, forest conservation and especially forest fire prevention are priority areas for the Mediterranean basin countries.

In this context, for many years, the Spanish Forest Fires Service, General Sub-Directorate of Forest Policy – (SGPF) of the Ministry of Agriculture Fishery and Food (MAPA) leads the Forest Fires Working Group (WG1) of Silva Mediterranea - FAO.

Spain, through the Spanish Forest Fires Service and the coordination of the WG1, has stimulated and led the forest fire discussion in the frame of the different forums at Mediterranean and international level.

The Spanish Forest Fires Service is also member of the International Liaison Committee (ILC) of the Wildfire Conferences where international regional networks play an important role. In this committee Spain, as coordinator of the WG1, proposes and discusses at the global level those forest fires recommendations, guidelines and topics of interest to Mediterranean countries.

In this same line of promoting the exchange of knowledge and experience as well as to give continuity to the worldwide actions which Spain leads, the Ministry of Agriculture Fishery and Food will host in 2020 the “International Congress on Forest Fire Prevention in the Mediterranean” in order to provide to decision-makers strategies based in forest fire prevention.

This Congress will be informed by the contributions of the following events:

• Expert Group on Forest Fires (EGFF) Meetings (European Commission)
• Silva Mediterranea Working Group on Forest Fires Workshop (FAO)
• Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral Systems Workshop (FAO)

The first two events will take place from 19 to 23 November 2018 in León (Spain).

On the 20th of November the annual meeting of the Expert Group on Forest Fires of the European Commission (DG Environment) will take place. Official representatives from participating states of this expert group led by the European Commission will attend. The objective of this meeting is to share knowledge, experiences and the forest fires events that have concerned the different countries.

On November 22nd, the workshop of the Silva Mediterranea Working Group on Forest Fires coordinated by Spain will be held with the aim of developing the common Mediterranean position on forest fires to be presented at the next Wildfire Conference, in 2019 in Brazil.

Discussion topics in this workshop will be: international cooperation, forest fire preparedness and prevention and new challenges for the future, among others.

This workshop is open to all Silva Mediterranea participating countries, which will receive prior to the workshop a draft proposal of the Mediterranean position on forest fires.

The third event will take place in the frame of the Spanish Presidency of Silva Mediterranea. With the support of the Sub-Directorate General of Forest Policy, the first Session of the FAO Working Group on Forest and Agro-silvopastoral systems in Dry Lands will be hosted in Spain (dates to be confirmed). Agro-silvopastoral systems count on well-developed management measures and have proved to be much less affected by forest fires. The study and enhancement of its values for both the natural areas and landscapes and the rural economies in the Mediterranean area are of great importance and will be discussed at this Group meeting.