Reconnecting with nature
Life Landscape Fire project
Life Landscape Fire project - New methodologies for forest fire prevention
Implementation of new methodologies to prevent forest fires through the use of prescribed fire and extensive grazing for fuel management.
Portugal
Regional
Sub-Região Viseu Dão Lafões.
Mainly rural
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Yes
2024-06-30
Yes
LIFE PROGRAM
No
No
As a representative of an organisation
The LIFE Landscape Fire project focused on the growing risk of large-scale forest wildfires, particularly on the regions of Viseu Dão Lafões (Portugal) and, Sierra de Gata and Sierra de San Pedro in Extremadura (Spain). Promoted by the Viseu Dão Lafões Intermunicipal Community, its partners were the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, the Junta de Extremadura, the University of Extremadura and the Sierra de San Pedro Community. The project tackled the challenges posed by climate change, rural depopulation and homogenisation of landscapes, which contributed to the increase of forest wildfires.
The project combined traditional techniques, such as prescribed burning and grazing, with modern tools, to improve the resilience of the forests, and the protection of biodiversity and sustainable landscape management.
The project had the following specific objectives: to reduce the spread and intensity of large-scale fires; to promote biodiversity and forest resilience; to revitalise rural areas and promote the sustainable development of land use, as well as to promote the exchange of knowledge and its replicability. The LIFE Landscape Fire project has produced positive results, both in terms of fire prevention and environmental sustainability.
It’s a project that contributes directly to category 1 Re-establishing the link with nature, since it has improved the relationship between individuals, local communities and nature, with particular emphasis on shepherds, since the intervened areas, contribute to an increase in pastoral activity, as pastures are regenerated naturally, animal feed is improved, which contributes to improving milk productivity and consequently improving the profitability of pastoralism, the quality of life of the shepherds and local communities, in a total symbiosis between human intervention, animal activity and respect for nature and ecosystems.
The project combined traditional techniques, such as prescribed burning and grazing, with modern tools, to improve the resilience of the forests, and the protection of biodiversity and sustainable landscape management.
The project had the following specific objectives: to reduce the spread and intensity of large-scale fires; to promote biodiversity and forest resilience; to revitalise rural areas and promote the sustainable development of land use, as well as to promote the exchange of knowledge and its replicability. The LIFE Landscape Fire project has produced positive results, both in terms of fire prevention and environmental sustainability.
It’s a project that contributes directly to category 1 Re-establishing the link with nature, since it has improved the relationship between individuals, local communities and nature, with particular emphasis on shepherds, since the intervened areas, contribute to an increase in pastoral activity, as pastures are regenerated naturally, animal feed is improved, which contributes to improving milk productivity and consequently improving the profitability of pastoralism, the quality of life of the shepherds and local communities, in a total symbiosis between human intervention, animal activity and respect for nature and ecosystems.
Prevention
Communities
Landscape
Participation
grazing
The project made possible to implement sustainable fire prevention methodologies on the ground. Initially, fuel management was carried out using controlled fire at strategic management points, which were defined through a study of the wildfires that have occurred in the Viseu Dão Lafões territory over the last decades. This fuel management method is an alternative and more economical way of managing fuels than other methods used in the past, thus allowing pastures to regenerate, and from then on, fuel management and maintenance will be carried out through extensive grazing. In this way, the use of extensive grazing not only boosts a traditional economic activity in this region, which is in decline, but also contributes to the environmental, social and economic sustainability of rural areas, that are heavily depopulated and desertified and often affected by rural wildfires (https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/pais/castro-daire-incendio-chegou-ao-concelho-de-viseu_v1600496) and increasingly susceptible to the impacts of climate change, particularly the risk of forest wildfires. The project therefore has a direct impact on improving the resilience of these territories in terms of maintaining rural/forest spaces and consequently preventing forest wildfires.
As a result of the controlled fire actions being planned and executed in line with the priorities identified by the rural population, the project has made possible to create conditions for maintaining and enhancing extensive grazing in strategic areas in the territory, creating mosaics of plots in these locations, renewing and increasing areas for grazing, providing food for bees, maintaining refuge areas for animals and enhancing areas for hunting. In addition the aforementioned activities (extensive grazing, beekeeping), the benefits achieved are the enhancement of rural territories and their communities. Well-managed grazing improves soil fertility, prevents erosion and is compatible with tree regeneration. On the other hand, the presence of animals helps seed dispersal, promotes nutrient cycling on a landscape scale and reduces the accumulation of plant biomass, thus minimising the impact of rural fires. Prescribed fire has made it possible to create conditions that improve extensive grazing activity, bringing numerous benefits to these territories, such as maintaining and increasing biological and landscape diversity, promoting diverse and relevant ecosystem services, and being an intervention strategy that contributes directly to the maintenance and management of landscapes. Landscapes are structural elements of collective memory and reinforce people's sense of belonging to the places where they were born, grew up, lived, visited, etc. The LIFE Landscape fire project is an example of a public policy instrument aligned with the principles of the New European Bauhaus, in that it advocates a nature-based intervention, realised with and for people and their communities, which recovers ancestral processes, respects local culture and forest management traditions, combines environmental sustainability with a low-cost intervention, transforming the landscape, counteracting its abandonment and mitigating the impacts of the risks associated with climate change.
The success of the Life Landscape Fire project is based on the cooperation of all the players involved in land management, namely the local population (shepherds and private landowners), common land management bodies, hunting associations, forestry producers' associations, parish councils, town councils, the Nature and Forest Conservation Institute, local fire brigades, the National Republican Guard and the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority.
All the interventions were carried out with the prior coordination and on-site presence of the communities, in particular the shepherds and common land (common land is land intended to serve as a common place for the neighbours of a village or a group of villages. They are used to fulfil certain individual needs, such as grazing cattle, collecting firewood or making charcoal from cork oaks. They originated from the need of rural villagers, who lived off the family farm, to have uncultivated areas where they could carry out activities that complemented farming.
Under the terms of the law, “baldios” are lands owned and managed by local communities, defined as all the sharers. Shareholders are the residents of one or more parishes or part of them who, according to custom, are entitled to the use and enjoyment of the common land (Law no. 89/97 of 30 July, article 1, paragraphs 1-3 and Judgement of the Supreme Court of Justice of 20 January 1999 (case no. 98B1030)).
The implemented actions (prescribed burning and the creation of conditions for extensive grazing) are considered to be natural solutions that preserve the structure of the soil, when compared to mechanised interventions, and are more economical for fuel management, with the cost of carrying out 1ha of fuel management with prescribed burning being around 180 euros, which is much lower than the 1000 euros/ha for fuel management using conventional methods (use of motorised and/or mechanical tools).
All the interventions were carried out with the prior coordination and on-site presence of the communities, in particular the shepherds and common land (common land is land intended to serve as a common place for the neighbours of a village or a group of villages. They are used to fulfil certain individual needs, such as grazing cattle, collecting firewood or making charcoal from cork oaks. They originated from the need of rural villagers, who lived off the family farm, to have uncultivated areas where they could carry out activities that complemented farming.
Under the terms of the law, “baldios” are lands owned and managed by local communities, defined as all the sharers. Shareholders are the residents of one or more parishes or part of them who, according to custom, are entitled to the use and enjoyment of the common land (Law no. 89/97 of 30 July, article 1, paragraphs 1-3 and Judgement of the Supreme Court of Justice of 20 January 1999 (case no. 98B1030)).
The implemented actions (prescribed burning and the creation of conditions for extensive grazing) are considered to be natural solutions that preserve the structure of the soil, when compared to mechanised interventions, and are more economical for fuel management, with the cost of carrying out 1ha of fuel management with prescribed burning being around 180 euros, which is much lower than the 1000 euros/ha for fuel management using conventional methods (use of motorised and/or mechanical tools).
The project promoted training actions in various areas: in the use of controlled fire (25 controlled fire technicians and 75 burning operatives); in the Use of Rural Fire Simulation and Analysis Tools (30 technicians); in the planning of grazing and pasture management actions (15 municipal technicians).
The project involved local farmers, particularly shepherds, in sustainable land management practices, creating economic opportunities through grazing and contributing to long-term fire prevention strategies. Farmers in the region were involved in pasture planning and management, and the respective grazing plans were drawn up by experimenting with pilot areas, in a context of preventing and reducing the risks related to major fires and socio-economic valorisation of forest space, allowing for a more flexible and efficient activity, ensuring that areas with a high risk of fire are managed consistently.
Without the involvement of local communities, shepherds and wasteland dwellers, it would not have been possible to carry out the interventions, since their authorisation was required to carry out the interventions and monitor the whole process. Public authorities and institutions with competences in rural fire management at national, regional and local level were also involved. This involvement and co-operation in the implementation of the project has made it possible to improve knowledge and techniques in the use of prescribed fire, in relation to the benefits of prevention, as well as to identify a set of local adaptation options and measures that will make it possible to identify and propose actions to reduce the region's current and future territorial vulnerability.
The project involved local farmers, particularly shepherds, in sustainable land management practices, creating economic opportunities through grazing and contributing to long-term fire prevention strategies. Farmers in the region were involved in pasture planning and management, and the respective grazing plans were drawn up by experimenting with pilot areas, in a context of preventing and reducing the risks related to major fires and socio-economic valorisation of forest space, allowing for a more flexible and efficient activity, ensuring that areas with a high risk of fire are managed consistently.
Without the involvement of local communities, shepherds and wasteland dwellers, it would not have been possible to carry out the interventions, since their authorisation was required to carry out the interventions and monitor the whole process. Public authorities and institutions with competences in rural fire management at national, regional and local level were also involved. This involvement and co-operation in the implementation of the project has made it possible to improve knowledge and techniques in the use of prescribed fire, in relation to the benefits of prevention, as well as to identify a set of local adaptation options and measures that will make it possible to identify and propose actions to reduce the region's current and future territorial vulnerability.
The LIFE Landscape Fire project has successfully demonstrated how a combination of traditional methods and modern fire prevention techniques and strategies can be used to reduce the risk of large-scale forest fires. The project's innovative approach provides land agents with tools that contribute to sustainable land management, biodiversity conservation and local community involvement, offering a replicable model for other regions facing similar challenges.
Through transnational co-operation and knowledge sharing, the project has contributed valuable knowledge to ongoing efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change and prevent forest fires.
LIFE Landscape Fire has demonstrated that innovative and integrated approaches to landscape management can produce significant socio-economic and environmental benefits.
https://vimeo.com/781294816/5ad676fa13
Through transnational co-operation and knowledge sharing, the project has contributed valuable knowledge to ongoing efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change and prevent forest fires.
LIFE Landscape Fire has demonstrated that innovative and integrated approaches to landscape management can produce significant socio-economic and environmental benefits.
https://vimeo.com/781294816/5ad676fa13
The defined and implemented fields of knowledge focused essentially on the themes of prescribed burning, the use of tools to analyse rural fires and planning techniques for grazing and pasture management to be developed throughout the territory.
With regard to the use of controlled fire, the following organisations took part: Municipalities, Volunteer and Municipal Firefighters, National Repubublican Guard, Forest Sappers, the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests and the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority. On the subject of grazing planning, the shepherds, municipalities, parish councils, common land units, hunters‘ and forestry producers’ associations all took part. It should be emphasised that liaison between all the above-mentioned entities, both in the use of fire and in grazing planning, was essential for the project's actions to be successfully implemented.
The different fields and areas of knowledge required to realise the project range from agronomy, forestry, civil protection, land management and planning,
With regard to the use of controlled fire, the following organisations took part: Municipalities, Volunteer and Municipal Firefighters, National Repubublican Guard, Forest Sappers, the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests and the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority. On the subject of grazing planning, the shepherds, municipalities, parish councils, common land units, hunters‘ and forestry producers’ associations all took part. It should be emphasised that liaison between all the above-mentioned entities, both in the use of fire and in grazing planning, was essential for the project's actions to be successfully implemented.
The different fields and areas of knowledge required to realise the project range from agronomy, forestry, civil protection, land management and planning,
The project demonstrated that the methodologies used for fuel management contribute on a large scale to fire prevention, help to protect villages in rural areas and maintain and enhance extensive grazing by increasing and renewing grazing areas.
The development of actions with the use of fire associated with pastoral activity sought, on the one hand, to identify the best techniques and prescription parameters for improving pastures and, on the other hand, to reduce the effects of multi-propagation points of fire in the landscape through the integrated use of controlled fire and pastoralism.
The main innovative character of the project consists of the approach that has been implemented, which combines traditional methods with modern prevention techniques and strategies as a way of reducing the risk of large-scale forest wildfires. The project is innovative because, despite its transnational dimension, it is based on local intervention, respecting local culture, and promotes participatory intervention with the involvement of citizens and local communities, the main stakeholders and beneficiaries of the project.
The project has also made it possible to provide local stakeholders with tools that contribute to sustainable forest management and soil recovery, biodiversity conservation and local community involvement, offering a replicable model for other regions facing similar challenges. Through transnational co-operation and knowledge sharing, the project has contributed valuable knowledge to ongoing efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change and prevent forest fires.
LIFE Landscape Fire has demonstrated that innovative and integrated approaches to landscape management can produce significant socio-economic and environmental benefits.
The development of actions with the use of fire associated with pastoral activity sought, on the one hand, to identify the best techniques and prescription parameters for improving pastures and, on the other hand, to reduce the effects of multi-propagation points of fire in the landscape through the integrated use of controlled fire and pastoralism.
The main innovative character of the project consists of the approach that has been implemented, which combines traditional methods with modern prevention techniques and strategies as a way of reducing the risk of large-scale forest wildfires. The project is innovative because, despite its transnational dimension, it is based on local intervention, respecting local culture, and promotes participatory intervention with the involvement of citizens and local communities, the main stakeholders and beneficiaries of the project.
The project has also made it possible to provide local stakeholders with tools that contribute to sustainable forest management and soil recovery, biodiversity conservation and local community involvement, offering a replicable model for other regions facing similar challenges. Through transnational co-operation and knowledge sharing, the project has contributed valuable knowledge to ongoing efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change and prevent forest fires.
LIFE Landscape Fire has demonstrated that innovative and integrated approaches to landscape management can produce significant socio-economic and environmental benefits.
The methodology implemented was as follows:
1 - Analysing the existing strategic management points in the territory;
2 - Identifying sites for controlled fire actions (integrated into the aforementioned strategic management points) and the respective owners;
3 - Involvement of local communities (shepherds and landowners), management bodies of the areas proposed for controlled burning;
4 - Analysing the feasibility of carrying out controlled fire actions, according to the needs and interests of local communities.
5 - Monitoring the plots subject to prescribed burning and following up grazing activities, analysing the preferences of the animals in the renovated areas and in the new grazing areas created.
1 - Analysing the existing strategic management points in the territory;
2 - Identifying sites for controlled fire actions (integrated into the aforementioned strategic management points) and the respective owners;
3 - Involvement of local communities (shepherds and landowners), management bodies of the areas proposed for controlled burning;
4 - Analysing the feasibility of carrying out controlled fire actions, according to the needs and interests of local communities.
5 - Monitoring the plots subject to prescribed burning and following up grazing activities, analysing the preferences of the animals in the renovated areas and in the new grazing areas created.
The methodologies used for fuel management in Viseu Dão Lafões, as well as their implementation, can be replicated and transferred to other territories.
The use of controlled fire, as well as the subsequent maintenance of the management of these areas through extensive grazing, contributes to the prevention of forest fires, the installation of productive mosaics and firebreaks and the reduction of CO2 emissions.
This is a project that has already been the subject of demonstration and interest in replication by various international and national organisations, such as https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2co6OY_zPBY; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keNdKriFiNU;
The project was also visited and recognised by the European Commission in February 2023, by the Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lifeprogramme_life-landscape-fire-activity-7051501654264705024-GFJF?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop)
The use of controlled fire, as well as the subsequent maintenance of the management of these areas through extensive grazing, contributes to the prevention of forest fires, the installation of productive mosaics and firebreaks and the reduction of CO2 emissions.
This is a project that has already been the subject of demonstration and interest in replication by various international and national organisations, such as https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2co6OY_zPBY; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keNdKriFiNU;
The project was also visited and recognised by the European Commission in February 2023, by the Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lifeprogramme_life-landscape-fire-activity-7051501654264705024-GFJF?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop)
The main global challenges addressed by the project are the protection and resilience of rural territories and their communities to the impacts of depopulation and desertification and the worsening risks associated with climate change. The project also addresses environmental sustainability and biodiversity conservation through the creation of conditions that improve extensive grazing, which brings numerous benefits for soil enrichment, the maintenance of territorial landscapes and the promotion of diverse and relevant ecosystem services. On the other hand, the project contributes to the economic and environmental revitalisation of rural and inland territories by improving conditions for the use of the forest through extensive grazing, helping to increase the productivity of herds and the profitability of grazing activities, improving the income of shepherds and their quality of life. As a result of implementing this project, the aim is to promote the valorisation of the services generated by ecosystems; implement specific public policies to support extensive grazing; promote the incorporation of extensive grazing into territorial planning and management instruments; valorise extensive production systems and improve the value chain.
The LIFE Landscape Fire project demonstrated how a combination of traditional methods and modern fire prevention techniques and strategies can be used to reduce the risk of large-scale forest fires. The project's innovative approach to land sustainability, management, biodiversity conservation and local, community involvement offers a replicable model for other regions facing similar challenges.
Through co-operation and transnational knowledge sharing, the project has contributed valuable insights to ongoing efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change and prevent forest fires.
LIFE Landscape Fire has demonstrated that innovative, integrated approaches to landscape management can produce significant socio-economic and environmental benefits. The project's legacy will be its contribution to a safer world, a more resilient and prosperous future for the regions it served and beyond. Continued commitment to collaboration, innovation and sustainable practices will ensure that the project's impact endures, setting a precedent for future efforts in forest fire prevention and landscape resilience.
Through co-operation and transnational knowledge sharing, the project has contributed valuable insights to ongoing efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change and prevent forest fires.
LIFE Landscape Fire has demonstrated that innovative, integrated approaches to landscape management can produce significant socio-economic and environmental benefits. The project's legacy will be its contribution to a safer world, a more resilient and prosperous future for the regions it served and beyond. Continued commitment to collaboration, innovation and sustainable practices will ensure that the project's impact endures, setting a precedent for future efforts in forest fire prevention and landscape resilience.
