“Changing Wildfires: Policy Options for a Fire-literate and Fire-adapted Europe#

Time: 28th May 2025 from 6:00 pm till 7:30 pm
Venue: Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona (RACAB) - La Rambla, 115
Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84981685176
Hybrid event, free entry

The report "Changing Wildfires: Policy Options for a Fire-Adapted and Fire-Literate Europe" addresses one of the most pressing environmental challenges facing the continent today: the growing frequency, intensity, and unpredictability of wildfires across Europe. As climate change accelerates, traditional fire seasons are expanding, and regions once considered low-risk are now increasingly vulnerable. This report reframes wildfires not merely as emergencies to be suppressed, but as complex socio-ecological phenomena that require proactive, systemic responses.

Its core focus is the development of policy recommendations to support Europe's transition towards a fire-adapted landscape—where communities, infrastructures, and ecosystems are better prepared to coexist with fire—and a fire-literate society, where public understanding, institutional coordination, and long-term planning are central to reducing risk. It emphasizes prevention over suppression, the integration of local knowledge, land management practices, and the need for cross-sector collaboration—from forestry and urban planning to education and public health.

At a time of escalating fire-related disasters, this report is both timely and necessary. It offers a roadmap for policymakers, scientists, and communities to shift from reactive approaches to resilient strategies, aligned with broader goals of climate adaptation, biodiversity protection, and sustainable rural development.

This event is organized by the Academia Europaea Barcelona Knowledge Hub.

Invited speakers:#

• Marc Castellnou
• Urbano Fra Paleo MAE

Moderator:#

Ariadna Goenaga

Further information: aebarcelona@fundaciorecerca.cat

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