Innovative technologies and socio-ecological-economic solutions for fire resilient territories in Europe.

Project Information

FIRE-RES

Grant agreement ID: 101037419

DOI

10.3030/101037419

Project closed

EC signature date 3 September 2021

Start date 1 December 2021

End date 30 November 2025

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Climate action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials

Total cost

€ 21 541 422,51

EU contribution

€ 19 896 326,62

Coordinated by

CONSORCI CENTRE DE CIENCIA I TECNOLOGIA FORESTAL DE CATALUNYA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - FIRE-RES (Innovative technologies and socio-ecological-economic solutions for fire resilient territories in Europe.)

Reporting period: 2023-06-01 to 2024-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Fire constitutes an essential and naturally recurrent element of many healthy ecosystems. Nonetheless, recent wildfire events have demonstrated extreme behaviour and unparalleled proportions in terms of magnitude, speed, behaviour and impacts. Extreme wildfire events (EWE) present a substantial environmental, economic and social threat. The current heterogeneity of fire management strategies across EU Member States hinders a concerted and efficient response when a member state finds itself overwhelmed and requires support.

Furthermore, despite advancements in scientific and technological domains aimed at addressing specific fire risk problems, prevention-preparedness, detection-response, and restoration-adaptation activities within as well as across fire management are predominantly executed independently of each other leading to an inefficiency use of resources. A cluster of innovation actions that have the potential to integrate fire and landscape management will be influential to addressing concerns associated with EWE. The primary focus should be on decreasing fire impacts and enhancing post-disturbance forest restoration, while building a more resilient society.

The strategic objective of FIRE-RES is to provide the EU with the capability to avert collapse in the face of EWE. Consequently, the overarching aim of the project is to boost this socio-technological transition by integrating environmental, climate, health & safety/security, cultural and socio-economic aspects within a stream of innovate actions that encapsulates the demonstration and deployment of proactive governance processes, change of forest management practices, comprehensive risk evaluations, promotion of awareness and preparedness, utilization of models, methodologies, technologies and decision support systems to implement a holistic and integrated fire management strategy, thereby effectively and proficiently addressing the challenge of EWE.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

WP1 designed a framework around EWE knowledge and lessons garnered from events in the context of resilient landscapes. Results include:
- Transfer of Lessons Learned to stakeholders
- Identification of factors driving resilient forest landscapes to EWE
- Development of methodologies and guidelines to enhance decision-making during EWE
- Creation and dissemination of awareness materials, including training for journalists and key messages on the official wildfire website

WP2 progressed on Wildland-Urban Interfaces (WUI) and landscape assessment, design and planning. The accomplishments within this WP include:
- Improved landscape assessment and fuel evaluation taking advantage of satellite imagery and LiDAR
- Innovative forest management guidelines
- Recommendations of joinery and landscaping as well as of fuel treatment layouts for WUIs
- Multi-criteria participatory approaches to prioritize intervention areas
- Prototypes for tactical forest planning and ecosystem services trade-offs analysis

WP3 explored the current panorama of economic incentives that enable and stimulate the uptake of landscape management and planning strategies aimed at minimizing of losses from wildfires. The results comprise:
- A database on economic mechanisms
- Motivation factors and relevant productive practices of wine sector agents to engage in wildfire risk management
- The corporative image for the fire-smart label
- The design of an agglomeration bonus system for private forest owners
- Assessment of Insurance Needs for Development of Collaborative Risk Transfer Instruments
- Development of stochastic catalogues as parametric wildfire risk estimation tools
- Performance of a Calculation Agent to estimate wildfire damages

WP4 was dedicated to deepening the knowledge and level of perception of wildfire risk employing of the concept of common culture of wildfire risk for a resilient society by combination of multi phased knowledge sharing. This effort included the identification of needs/gaps in several domains:
- Citizens engagement with a safe village pilot: Fire forum and culture
- Policy and governance for resilient landscape and territories
- Monitoring and improving response interoperability, by sharing knowledge at EU level
- Real time communication methodologies during operations

WP5 developed and integrated advanced technologies, equipment and decision support systems. These encompassed forest fire risk assessment, high-resolution weather forecasting, data interoperability among international stakeholders, disaster monitoring and landscape recovery. The main results include:
- Implementation of the Integrative Software System and integration of partners applications and services
- Implementation in FireSim of an EWE Rate of Spread adjustment factor
- Documentation of results related to the research on the transition of a wildfire from normal to extreme state
- Development and testing of the HAPS Fleet Simulator

WP6 socialised the concept of Open Innovation within the project consortium and local stakeholders, nurturing the capacity for innovation within Living Labs (LL). The outcome of these efforts resulted in the selection of challenges identified by local communities. Based on these challenges the Open Innovation Campaign was launched. Among the 80 solutions received, 22 were selected to conduct piloting and demonstration actions at the different LLs. The FIRE-RES innovation Hub has been created, providing acceleration support for both OIC solutions and project Innovation Actions.

WP7 has significantly advanced communication and dissemination throughout the project. First, it outlined a strategy targeting selected key audiences. Then, efforts expanded to 73 news items, 6 press releases, 1 policy leaflet, and over 30 scientific publications. FIRE-RES social media engagement grew, while media training activities improved risk awareness, and collaborations with partners amplified the project’s impact. WP7 also strengthened communication with stakeholders and policymakers, promoted fire resilience, and supported quality journalism on wildfires.

Finally, WP8 created the conditions to implement 34 Innovation Actions in 11 LLs. This work yielded the establishment of 11 Communities of Wildfire Innovation resulting in the formulation of 11 draft roadmaps towards smart fire management. Also, a protocol for the assessment of the impacts of innovation actions was developed. Additionally, a comprehensive plan for capacity-building and training was developed.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The FIRE-RES initiative is advancing beyond the current state of art by:

1. Integrating existing research, technological advancements, civil protection strategies, and policy and governance frameworks related to wildfires. This integration is aimed at innovating processes, methodologies, and tools to effectively facilitate the implementation of a more holistic fire management approach and support the transition towards more resilient landscapes and communities to EWE.

2. Developing an ambitious methodology for conducting socioeconomic assessments to identify incentives and disincentives to promote behavioural change as well as to strengthen landowners’ cooperation risk awareness by communities to increase resilience.

3. Evolving a robust integrated strategy for adaptation based on the high spatially and temporally resolved identification of risk populations, combined with the effective quantification of specific health exposure impacts using advanced machine learning tools.

FIRE-RES upscalling framework

FIRE-RES approach to the Fire Management Cycle phases