IPAFF meets the school is the IPAFF program’s awareness raising initiative for high schools in Western Balkans countries (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo , Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia) and Turkey.
The initiative provides school-targeted information on WILDFIRES risk management and it engages students in a contest prizing the best projects on the issue of risk mitigation.

Here you can find an overview on the major issues related to WILDFIRES including the reason why we choose to address them instead to limit our work to Forest Fires.

WHAT ARE WILDFIRES

WILDFIRES are unplanned and uncontrolled fires that burn any sort of wild vegetation, including forested, bushes and rural areas. Different types of wildfires have distinct characteristics, depending on whether they burn vegetation under the ground, just above it or the trees’ foliage. They may burn mixed fuel, including wildland vegetation, human-made materials, and agricultural land. The risk level also depends on whether they occur next to a populated area. Read more….

WHAT CAUSES WILDFIRES

Only a very small number of WILDFIRES events are due to natural phenomena, while human activities are among the most recurrent causes of fire ignition, spreading and duration. In addition, several other conditions, mostly associated with human activities, can favor ignition or spread of fire. Understanding the causes of WILDFIRES is therefore essential for prevention and effective disaster risk management. Read more….

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS

WILDFIRES threaten vegetation, wildlife, population exposed to the danger, buildings and infrastructure, the economy and have even an effect on water provision. They also have an impact on Global Warming. Cascading effects are the hazards triggered by WILDFIRES. Among these there are several types of landslides and floods. Read more…

WHAT CAN WE DO

WILDFIRES management involves a comprehensive approach to prevent, mitigate, and respond to protect lives, property, ecosystems, and resources. The interaction of WILDFIRES with Global Warming needs specific management plans, to enable adapting related plans and policies taking into account changes in fuel and vegetation type, changes in burning conditions and additional fire risk. Different actions can be undertaken before, during and after a WILDFIRE to mitigate its effects and prompt restoration of the vegetated areas. Guidelines are provided by the local authorities. Read more….

WHERE DO THEY OCCUR?

In Europe WILDFIRES are widespread and have been more frequent in recent years in response to Global Warming. In Western Balkan countries and Turkey WILDFIRES have burned thousands square kilometres, killing people, animals and causing important damage to infrastructures, in recent years. Read more….

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