Catching Fire: New paradigms for wildfire resilience
*note: this is a closed event
As the climate changes, the world has marked a significant increase in the number of extreme wildland fire disasters. From the United States and Australia, to Portugal and Greece, to Georgia, Nepal, Brazil and Bolivia, this phenomenon is driving an increase in civilian and firefighter deaths and creating unforeseen economic burdens. In an increasing number of cases, wildfire severity and consequence are increasing in countries and regions that are unprepared and may be unable to adopt the management practices of wealthier nations.
Unlike many natural hazards, wildland fire can often be effectively mitigated during the event itself. However, the required response resources such as specialized aircraft, professionally trained teams, and emerging technologies are expensive and may not be reasonable for countries with a developing economy.
As a result, from community protection strategies, to early warning systems and from regional/hemispherical resource sharing to public education, the world is falling behind in our understanding and capacity to collectively manage wildfire. Wildfire is winning the race. There is no choice; we must innovate to catch fire.
This workshop will bring together program experts, policy professionals, response leaders and technology innovators to explore various wildfire scenarios, share insights and apply their knowledge and experience. The event will open with a brief description of a powerful innovation that was pioneered by each participant. After completing this incendiary opening, participants will be matched into small teams where they will race the clock to develop innovative solutions to existing national, regional and hemispherical wildfire management challenges. To conclude the event, each team will provide a short presentation selecting 1-2 of their challenges and their plan to innovate, overcome those challenges and create a new paradigm for wildfire resilience.
Organizer: World Bank