The Global Wildland Fire Network (GWFN)

© GFMC / UNISDR Wildland Fire Advisory Group. Photos / graphics: GFMC, NASA, UNECE, Brandenburg Forest Service

A UNISDR Global Thematic Platform to Address Vegetation Fires, Global Change and Disaster Risk Reduction

Team of Authors – GFMC and Coordinators of the Regional Wildland Fire Networks and Resource Centers

Johann G. Goldammer (Global Fire Monitoring Center – GFMC), Oyunsanaa Byambasuren (Regional Central Asia Fire Management Resource Center

– RCAFMRC), Nikola Nikolov (Regional South East Europe / Caucasus Fire Monitoring Center – RFMC), Sergiy V. Zibtsev (Regional Eastern European

Fire Monitoring Center – REEFMC), Sundar P. Sharma (Regional South Asia Wildland Fire Network), Lara Steil (Regional South America Wildland Fire

Network), Gavriil Xanthopoulos (Regional Mediterranean Wildland Fire Network), Lucy Amissah (Regional Subsahara Africa Wildland Fire Network,

West Africa Region), Bambang Hero Saharjo (Regional Southeast Asia Wildland Fire Network)

Increasing occurrence of

uncontrollable wildfires

as a consequence of climate change

and altered natural fire regimes ?

Introduction: Background and Rationale • During the 1980s and 1990s: Rapid increase of the use of fire in conversion of

tropical and subtropical forests and other native vegetation to other land use,

fire-induced loss of biodiversity, destruction of natural ecosystems, vegetation

fire emissions affecting the global climate alerted the international science

community.

• Early 21st Century: Precursor signals of climate change are associated with

more frequent extreme droughts, which would create conditions favorable for

increasing occurrence of large wildfires with severe consequences on the

environment and human security.

• These projections have become reality, with an increasing occurrence of more

destructive large fire episodes throughout the world. Globally between 300 and

600 million hectares of vegetation, including forests, peatlands, savannas and

agricultural systems, are annually affected by wildfires and land-use fires. Up to

one to three hundred thousand people per year are suffering premature death

due to air pollution generated by vegetation fires.

• Many countries in the world – particularly in the tropics and subtropics but also

in parts of the temperate and boreal zone – are not capable to manage (prevent,

control and use) fire and cope with wildfire emergencies, particularly during

extreme weather and climate variability such as the El Niño

The Global Wildland Fire Network In 2001 the UNISDR Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) followed the suggestion of the

World Conservation Union (IUCN) and the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) to

address the theme of "Wildland Fire" by one of the four IATF Working Groups. In

order to secure the participation and inputs of the international community concerned

with wildland fires, the GFMC initiated the formation of the Global Wildland Fire

Network (GWFN), which by globally concerted action aims to

- Reduce the negative impacts of vegetation fires (“wildland fires”) on the

environment and humanity; and

- Advance the knowledge and application of the ecologically and

environmentally benign role of natural fire in fire-dependent

ecosystems, and sustainable application of fire in land-use systems.

As the follow-up of the Working Group 4 on Wildland Fire – the Wildland Fire

Advisory Group (WFAG) was established and mandated to

- Serve as an advisory body to provide technical, scientific and policy-

supporting advice to the United Nations System

- Act as a liaison between the United Nations system, the Global Wildland

Fire Network and its supporting partners

The GFMC is serving as Convener and Secretariat.

Geography of the Global Wildland

Fire Network

Fourteen Active Regional Wildland Fire

Networks are serving the regions

This state-of-science report on the role

and impacts of vegetation fires on the

Earth System provides rationale for

globally concerted action – elaborated

by the Global Wildland Fire Network

and associated scientists

Website of the Global Wildland Fire Network: http://www.fire.uni-freiburg.de/GlobalNetworks/globalNet.html

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International Fire Management Policy

Dialogue on Cross-boundary Fire

Management The Role and Offers of the Network in Wildfire DRR and the

Contribution to Implementing the Science and Technology Aspects

of the Sendai Framework

In following-up the UNECE/FAO Regional Forum on Cross-boundary Fire

Management the Network in 2014 operationalized the International Wildfire

Preparedness Mechanism (IWPM), a non-financial, voluntary instrument serving as

a facilitator between national and international agencies, programmes and projects

to share expertise and build capacities in wildland fire management. The IWPM

intensifies the exchange of scientific and technical know-how within and between the

regions and is working increasingly through Regional Fire Management Resource

Centers. Emphasis is given to community-based fire management approaches.

http://www.fire.uni-freiburg.de/iwpm/index.htm