Strengthening national capacities in forest fire prevention and management discussed in Chisinau

Chisinau, August 14 /MOLDPRES/- Assessment of the needs and challenges on the management of forest and vegetation fires was discussed at a round table organized by EcoContact, with the support of the U.S. Forest Service.

EcoContact and U.S. Forest Service recently held a discussion on forest and wildfire emergency response management. The event aimws at exploring and developing integrated approaches for the effective prevention and management of forest fires in Moldova, identifying opportunities for support.

Attending the event were decision-makers of the national authorities responsible for the management of emergency situations and environmental protection, as well as representatives of the academic environment and protected areas. Representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, the Ministry of the Environment, Moldsilva Agency, the Inspectorate for Environmental Protection, as well as the Forestry Research and Development Institute participated in the event.

Present at the event, State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Jana Costachi said: "One of the basic goals of the state, including those provided for in the Government Activity Program aims to strengthen the national response mechanism in emergency situations by ensuring interoperability with European procedures.”

The state secretary also provided the statistics for 2022, noting that firefighters intervened in over 9,000 wildfires throughout the country. The affected area exceeded 152,000 hectares of land. 

Wildfires are a very big threat to humanity, environment and biodiversity, economy, and have a significant impact on communities and natural ecosystems. So, the national authorities pointed out the common needs and priorities for the effective management of the response to fires, the preparation of the relevant institutions, including those managed by forest bypasses in the management of emergency situations. They stressed the needs for training, equipping, capacity building.

State Secretary of the Ministry of the Environment Aliona Rusnac spoke about the sustainable development of the forestry sector, through the preservation and expansion of national forest resources to increase long-term climate resilience and meet the country's needs in products and services generated by forests: "Currently, in Moldova the forested area occupies 11% of the country's territory, while the average degree of forestation in the EU is 37.7%. Government has recently approved the National Forest Extension and Rehabilitation Program 2023-2032. The next 10 years, the areas of forested land will be expanded by about 150 thousand ha, both on new land and on heavily degraded forest lands, public property or, for the first time, on privately owned lands".

The event focused on forest fire prevention and management strategies, considering innovative technologies and practices, as well as synergy between relevant institutions. Special emphasis was set on the importance of developing operational and technical capabilities to meet the challenges presented by such events.

U.S. Forest Service Program Manager Joshua Lee said "the event aimed to identify those needs that can be strengthened in the Republic of Moldova on prevention, preparation and response to forest and vegetation fires. The U.S. Forest Service has a wealth of experience on the matter it wants to pass on to other countries, including Moldova, through potential projects and programs."

The results of the assessment of the current situation on forest and vegetation fires in Moldova were also presented. Thus, the challenges are various and common, influenced by global climate change and human activities. Absence of a risk assessment methodology at national, regional and community level was highlighted, which affects the ability to anticipate and plan measures to reduce losses caused by natural disasters.

Participants expressed openness and interest in collaborating with the U.S. Forest Service to implement projects and initiatives aimed at strengthening national capacities in forest and vegetation fire prevention and management.

Photo: EcoContact