Southeast Asia fire dialogue

May 20

2025

Location

Kanchanaburi, Thailand

The Southeast Asia region faces increasing challenges related to wildfires, smoke and haze which have significant environmental, social and economic impacts. Most fires are human induced and as climate change intensifies, fire seasons become longer and more extreme, leading to substantial greenhouse gas emissions. Transboundary haze from wildfires threatens public health and the environment. Indigenous Peoples and local communities, who play a crucial role in reducing wildfire risk, are most affected by these wildfires.

In response to these challenges, RECOFTC , Tropenbos International and APFNet are organizing this dialogue to help identify strategies to reduce wildfire risks and scale up effective solutions. The event will bring together Indigenous Peoples and local communities from different countries to share experiences, best practices and challenges in preventing and managing wildfires. These insights will directly inform policymakers, donors, nongovernmental organizations, researchers and private sector representatives, who will also be participating in the event.

Objectives

The dialogue provides a platform for Indigenous Peoples and local communities to engage with one another and with research, government and private sector stakeholders.

Specifically, it aims to:

share lessons and best practices in fire management, focusing on Indigenous and community-based approaches to reduce wildfire risks
identify strategies and enabling conditions for scaling up effective solutions, including alternative livelihoods and accessible tools and technologies
link fire management efforts to climate goals, Nationally Determined Contributions and regional frameworks like the ASEAN haze-free initiative, while exploring financing mechanisms
promote inclusivity by amplifying the voices of youth, women and marginalized groups in shaping equitable and sustainable wildfire management strategies

Expected outcomes

By the end of this dialogue, participants will have:

a comprehensive understanding of effective wildfire risk reduction strategies that integrate traditional practices with scientific knowledge
identified actionable approaches to align community-driven fire management efforts with climate goals and financing mechanisms
developed collaborative frameworks for inclusive governance that address wildfire risks while promoting sustainable livelihoods

Format

This event features two interlinked parts designed to foster knowledge exchange and actionable strategies for wildfire risk reduction.

Part 1: Community fire dialogue

This will bring together Indigenous Peoples and local communities to share their experiences, best practices and challenges in wildfire prevention and management. The focus will be on identifying scalable solutions that integrate traditional and cultural burning practices with scientific knowledge and alternative non-burning practices.

Part 2: Multi-stakeholder fire dialogue

Insights from the community dialogue will directly inform this segment, which involves community representatives, researchers, policymakers, donors and other stakeholders. The goal is to bridge local practices with policy frameworks and research to align ground-level realities with broader environmental and climate objectives.

Expected participants

The workshop will bring together participants from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam including Indigenous Peoples and local communities, policymakers, donors, nongovernmental organizations, researchers and private sector representatives.