Global management of wildfires

India’s resolution on ‘Strengthening the Global Management of Wildfires’ was adopted last week at the Seventh Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) in Nairobi, Kenya. The resolution, moved by India, received wide support from Member States, reaffirming global recognition of the urgent need to address the rising threat of wildfires worldwide. as announced by a government press release.

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) release added that India drew attention to United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP’s) global report ‘Spreading Like Wildfire’, which warns that wildfires may rise by 14% by 2030, 30% by 2050 and 50% by 2100, if current trends continue. These projections, India stressed, make it clear that wildfires represent a long-term, climate-driven global risk requiring urgent coordinated international action. India emphasized a call for a shift from a reactive response to proactive prevention, through better planning, early-warning and timely risk reduction measures.

Underlining that wildfires have emerged as one of the most pressing environmental challenges globally, the Indian resolution aimed at strengthening international cooperation and coordinated action for wildfire management. It highlighted that regions across the world are witnessing a steady rise in the number, scale and intensity of wildfires, which were once limited to seasonal occurrences. Wildfires have now become frequent and prolonged, driven largely by climate change, rising temperatures, extended droughts, and human activities. Each year millions of hectares of land are affected by fires, causing enormous destruction to forests, biodiversity, water resources, soil health, air quality, and livelihoods. Wildfires also release significant greenhouse gases, weaken carbon sinks, and heavily impact forest-dependent communities and national economies.

The global approach, India stated, is now moving towards Integrated Fire Management (IFM), anchored in early warning systems, risk mapping, satellite-based monitoring through collective efforts of local communities and frontline personnel. India underscored the critical role of UNEP in helping countries strengthen wildfire adaptation, develop integrated fire management strategies, and undertake ecosystem restoration. The Global Fire Management Hub, established in 2023 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UNEP was acknowledged as a key mechanism for supporting international efforts.

The PIB release highlights key provisions of India’s resolution. The resolution aims to reinforce ongoing global activities under the Global Fire Management Hub and calls for strengthened international cooperation through development of early warning systems, risk assessment tools, and satellite- and ground-based ecosystem monitoring, besides promotion of community-based alert mechanisms. it calls for enhanced regional and global collaboration in mechanisms supporting prevention, post-response recovery, and ecosystem restoration. it also highlights the need for knowledge sharing and capacity building and the creation of platforms for best practices, along with training and capacity-building programmes stakeholders. support for national and regional action plans is also essential, especially providing assistance to member states in developing and implementing integrated fire management and wildfire resilience strategies. facilitating access to international finance is important too through support to Member States in preparation of project proposals to access funding through multilateral mechanisms and results-based schemes.

The FAO website says that with wildfires a growing threat around the world, countries urgently need to shift their attention from reaction and response to preventing them in the first place. Due to land-use change, extreme wildfires are on the rise, negatively affecting sustainable development, threatening communities’ livelihoods and security. Landscape fire emissions constitute a threat to human health and affect the atmosphere and climate. Often, wildfires do not start or stop at the edges of forests. The Global Fire Management Hub (or “Fire Hub”) brings together key partners to strengthen countries’ capacities to implement integrated fire management with the major impact of reducing the many negative impacts of wildfires on livelihoods, landscapes and global climate stability. Through a focus on knowledge and data sharing; capacity building; wildfire-resilient communities; fire risk assessment and early warning; and policy support, it accelerates integrated fire management at regional, national, and community levels by making available the best information and training to support countries in a coherent, comprehensive and consistent way. Launched at the Eighth International Wildland Fire Conference in 2023, the Hub focuses on the implementation of an IFM approach that helps to ensure that all fire activities are integrated into national policies and plans, are cross-sectoral, and involve diverse stakeholders.