ITTO has announced that it will integrate best practices from the forest fire fighting projects from Indonesia and Peru into the new guidelines. These projects, funded by the Government of Japan, have demonstrated the effectiveness of community-based approaches in preventing and responding to forest fires. In this way, the results from these projects will contribute towards future directions in tropical forest fire combating strategies with focus on the local people.
The approach to forest fires management in Indonesia
In Indonesia there was a project "Capacity Building on Forest and Land Fire Management" supported in provinces of South Sumatera, South Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan. The aim of the project undertaken in this context was to increase the local people’s capacity in fire prevention and control with special reference to ‘no burning’ concepts. Eight sites were used to demonstrate how farmland clearance can be done without burning, which is a common cause of fires in the South.
They have also established a novel method for monitoring and reporting on the distribution of fire prevention patrolling System Monitoring and Reporting Technology for Fire Prevention (SMART). This system registers and files actions of fire prevention patrols in real time with reference to seventy-nine parameters to improve fire prevention and detection of wildfires as well as early suppression. It also extended safety measures and tools and equipments to address fire brigades and improve their capabilities for fire control.
Peru in implementing Community based fire management system
In Peru, the project "Forest Fire Prevention and Response in Tropical Forests and Forest Plantations" was implemented in five departments: Cajamarca, Huánuco, Junín, Pasco, Ucayali. More than 200 participants of the voluntary associations of fire fighters received the trainings to enhance the efficiency in fire safety. It was the function of the project to focus on the integration of national and regional authorities, local communities, and indigenous people.
These training programs assisted in making locals more familiar with roles of change in fire prevention and in case of an incident. In particular, the project supported improved fire management among local and indigenous communities that formalized fire management networks to enhance the government agencies’ fire management capacity. Another advantage of the project was realized in the utilization of sustainable ways instead of fire in the removal of vegetation for land clearing.
New Strategies of Tropical Forest Fire Management
Initiatives put into multi-stakeholder projects in Indonesian and Peruvian tropical forests will be integrated into new guidelines for fire-related management of tropical forests under construction within ITTO. These guidelines will stress the role of communities in the mitigation, prevention, and management of fires, bearing in mind that people in fire-affected areas are usually the first to confront forest fires. The guidelines will also address the importance of the fire management framework and of fire-prevention, fire-detection and fire-suppression techniques matched up with sustainable land management strategies.
They will be prepared together with FAO of United Nations and other participants of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests. The goal is to support the broader application of integrated fire management in tropical forests in response to increased threats arising from climate change and land use change.
Indonesian experience and Peru indicate that it is feasible to prevent and in the process of fighting forest fires to involve the people exercising their rights in protecting through sharing equal responsibilities with the government of the day. Through participation in fire management activities, these projects have enhanced stakeholders and facilitated a sustainable utilization of forest resources. These findings will be integrated into the new ITTO guidelines to show that communities and an integrated approach to fire management are crucial.
As global climate changes and utilization pressures intensify, Indonesia and Peru have some useful lessons for fire management of tropical forests. The local communities also follows that with the improvement of the bottom up processes and acknowledgement of sustainable practices, the forested regions are best protected.
The causes of forest fires in the tropics
Another emerging ecological disaster type is fires in tropical forests as such disasters have catastrophic consequences for the world’s fauna and flora, changing climate, and population. These fires can be as a result of natural factors or man-made factors. They are important for considering in making prevention and control patterns for these causes.
Natural Causes
- Lightning Strikes: Lightning is one of the main natural causes of forest fires in the tropics. Lightning during storms strikes dry vegetation which in turn leads to the creation of fires which can easily develop into regions with a lot of dry substances. Although are natural, they can be disastrous when occur in such areas as remote and densely vegetated regions.
- Volcanic Activity: However, those in areas with good volcanic activities, the eruptions lead to forest fires. Rising lava, hot ashes and pyroclastic materials can cause fire outbreaks that can spread over vegetation. The volcanic fires are relatively rare compared to other types; however, such fire is exceptionally dangerous when it occurs.
Human-Induced Causes
- Slash-and-Burn Agriculture: The technique of slash-and-burn agriculture is adopted in many tropic regions showing the old technique of farming. It is an act in which farmers cut vegetation and burn the vegetation to improve on the soil for cultivation. This method aimed at enhancing the fertility of the soil in as, it most of the times results in uncontrolled fires that extend to the neighbouring forests, which are normally destroyed.
- Deforestation and Land Clearing: Clearance of large pieces of land for farming and disturbed forest, logging and other infrastructure related causes are the leading causes of forest fires. These acts lead to the elimination of trees and other plant species that could have provided water on their surface hence increasing exposure to sun resulting to dryness and easy inflammation. The works such as land clearing through the use of heavy machinery /equipment may cause fires.
- Illegal Logging: unlawful conversion for commercial uses of forest land give rise to fires since such exercises leave behind a lot of combustible material. Cutters make use of fire to clear the land as fast as possible, but such fires become uncontrollable and extend to other forests.
- Agricultural Expansion: the expansion for the purpose of agriculture usually involves use of fire to clear the land and this leads to causes forest fires. Besides, monoculture farming practices, for example, short-cycle planting all contribute to destroying the soil moisture layer and hence the danger of fires.
- Hunting and Poaching: Sometime hunters and poachers use fire as a source of light to chase animals from very dense vegetation, in order to easily trap them. Such fires can easily turn into a disaster and affect a big area of canvass leading to a high destruction of the forest.
Climatic Factors
- Drought: these are another important cause of forest fires especially in the tropical region; this is because the region experiences long periods of drought. Drought condition lower the water content in the vegetation hence increasing the chances of the vegetation to Chain fire. The climate is changing and it influenced the increase of frequency and intensity of droughts in many tropical countries which leads to the risk of forest fires.
- El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO): El Niño is the increase in sea surface temperature in the Pacific Ocean which makes the weather change; in particular, less rain is expected in the tropics. These dry conditions develop good conditions for bush fires in the foresting regions of the country. For instance, the unforeseen drought and forest fires in Indonesia and other parts of South East Asia by the end of 2015/ beginning of 2016 could be attributed to the El Niño, which took place during the same time period.
Tropical forest fires are therefore effects of multiple factors of natural and anthropogenic causes. Natural factors include lighting as well as volcanic activities while anthropogenic factors include; pyric agriculture, deforestation, illegal logging, agricultural expansion, and hunting. Other factors, such as drought or El Niño, only increase the danger of fires. Forest fire in the tropical region can only be eradicated if the following ways are adopted, sustainable management of the land, enforcement of the law on the environment, involvement of the community and combating climate change.
Strategies for Reducing forest Fires in the Tropics
Tropical forest fire contributes to tremendous loss of biological diversity, adverse effects on climate and escalated social costs that include the loss of source of income for people depending on the forests. Given the severity of those fires, for decreasing their frequency, it is important to use set of preventive, mitigations, and responsive measures. Here are some strategies to lower the number of forest fires in tropical regions:
1. Enhancing Use of Sustainable Land Management Techniques
One of the major causes of forest fires in the tropics are through practice of slash and burn agriculture. Reducing cases of fires can be made easier by persuading farmers to embrace sustainable land management practices. These practices include:
- Agroforestry: The use of trees alongside crops and animals can improve on soil productivity, diversity of production and minimize land clearance by burning.
- Conservation Agriculture: Minimal soil disturbance as well as crop rotation and practice of using cover crops as part of conservation agriculture inhibit soil degradation and hinder the occurrences of fires.
- Zero-Burning Techniques: showing and spreading of new methods like the mechanical and mulching type of clearing can help reduce fires.
2. Improvement measures in fire monitoring and early warning
Efficient and timely use of monitoring systems and especially early warning systems go a long way in early identification of forest fires. These systems should include:
- Remote Sensing and Satellite Imagery: Using satellite technology to study the conditions within the forests and explore fire hotspots in the shortest time possible.
- Community-Based Monitoring: Building up awareness among local communities in the preparedness of the mobile application as a reporting system as well as for new changes in the forest conditions through fire incidents.
- Weather Forecasting: Combining weather data to forecast risky days and locations for forest fires and then preventive actions can be taken.
3. Increasing Community Participation and Cognizance
Forest fire is prevented and combatted with the assistance of the local communities. There may be increased successful fire control when these communities are involved and encouraged to participate in fire management. Strategies include:
- Education and Training: Organising public health promotion and training of people to help them understand about factors and effects of forest fires and of fire prevention.
- Fire Brigades: Organising and supplying individual settlements with the necessary means to combating fires as soon as possible.
- Incentive Programs: Rewarding highly and honouring the work of those communities that practice sustainable land management.
4. Enhancement of infrastructural development and resources management
Better forest fire management requires sufficient physical facilities and other requirements. Key measures include:
- Firebreaks and Access Roads: Making fire lines and eradicating fire lines to halt fires and guarantee good access roads for combating the fires.
- Equipment and Training: Supplying fire brigades and local authorities with the equipment, which is necessary to prevent fire – water pumps, mask, shields, etc., and equipping the officials, who have to cope with fire, with necessary knowledge.
- Funding and Support: Providing adequate budget to cater for fire prevention, monitoring and which will be used in funding response to fire incidences.
5. Legislation and policy measures
Effective legal instrumentations need to be put into practice to manage the activities which lead to fire in forests. Measures include:
- Fire Management Policies: implementing and legalizing policies that will involve the proper use of the land and implementing policies that bar those that contribute to fire risks.
- Penalties for Violations: Introducing severe consequences for violation of a law including violations like annual burning, deforestation and land clearance.
- Collaborative Governance: Promoting coalition between government, non-governmental organizations, and people in order to enhance the compliance with fire management laws and regulations.
6. Research and Innovation
Further work is required to generate novel concepts and tools in the area of forest fire management. Areas of focus include:
- Fire-Resistant Crops and Vegetation: Introducing and encouraging use of crops and vegetative that is easily not inflammable or easily catches fire.
- Advanced Fire-fighting Techniques: funding research to improve the effectiveness of the primary tools and techniques used in fire-fighting operations, the use of automated fire detection systems, and the use of aerial vehicles and robots in fire-fighting.
- Climate Change Adaptation: Carrying out research to determine climate change influencing factors on forest fires.
ITTO
The ITTO is an intergovernmental organization formed in 1986 under the ITTA signed in 1983 as a second-generation tropical timber producing and consuming country agreement. Established in Yokohama, Japan, ITTO aims at enhancing the sustainable utilization of tropical forest resources and encouraging the increase and the broad spectrum of international consumption of tropical timber from certified and legally produced source.
ITTO’s main functions are to promote sustainable tropical forestry, to help finance and to offer technical assistance to tropical timber using nations, and to monitor and develop International cooperation and elaboration of policies regarding the tropical timber and forest export. The ITTC (council) is the organisation’s governing body, representing equally both tropical timber producing and using countries in decision making.
For the past decades, ITTO has funded a variety of projects that seek to improve the management of tropical forests, access to markets for tropical timber, together with the utilization of non-timber forest products. It also released a quarterly newsletter Tropical Forest Update that covers information on tropical forest management and trade matters.
Through cooperation among member countries and all the stakeholders, ITTO is very valuable in the formation and implementation of policies on sustainable management of the tropical forests for the benefit of future generation.