Addressing complexities in fire and forests: Stakeholder engagement for risk reduction and resilience

Fire can be a natural and necessary component of ecosystems. However, over the last few years, we have seen dramatic changes in fire dynamics driven by climate change and land-use decisions, among many other factors. The Forests Dialogue (TFD) is promoting multi-stakeholder engagement to develop better ways of reducing wildfire risks and increasing resilience in the face of climate change during a side event at the World Forestry Congress.

Recent wildfires demonstrate how governments, communities and businesses are challenged in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from wildfires. Speakers will share examples of fire threats bringing formerly opposing interests together to develop better ways of reducing wildfire risks and increasing resilience in the face of climate change. The multiple, complex dimensions of wildfire risks, risk management and response, and the conflicts that arise in each of these arenas, suggest a role for TFD'S structured dialogue process. Current international processes foster dialogue and networks between groups such as fire researchers, fire managers or government forest agencies, but not between these landscapes, agriculture, or planning and other stakeholders and forest owners, forestry business and their local communities. 

This side event will introduce TFD’s Fire Initiative, discussing outputs of a Scoping Dialogue to frame the role and focus of the Initiative, identify a series of field dialogues that inform its objectives. Participants of the event will have a chance to listen to and offer input to key partners within a series of thematic learning dialogues. 

After welcoming remarks from David Ganz, Executive Director at RECOFTC, there will be a roundtable discussion to present TFD’s Fire and Forest Initiative. This will be followed by breakout group discussions on:

1. What are the greatest challenges related to fire in our region? 
2. How is climate change impacting fire dynamics in the region and how do we anticipate this changing in the future? What are we expecting from the climate change-wildfire nexus in the years to come?

Reports from each breakout group will be presented in the plenary and participants can vote on which key challenges have the highest priority amongst various stakeholders. There will be a second breakout group discussions on: 

1. Which stakeholders are typically excluded from fire-related decision making and learning spaces? Moving forward, how might they be included? 
2. What knowledge and experience do various stakeholders have in addressing wildfire to learn from, including those typically excluded? 

After discussions are reported back in the plenary, another breakout group will focus on:

1. What are successful strategies to address wildfires that are already being used and what could the world learn from them? What makes them successful? 
2. What are additional actions or strategies that are needed and why?

In the plenary, the session will close with a moderated conversation on:

1. What are opportunities for government, private sector, academia and local communities to collaborate and work together moving forward? 
2. Are there recommended approaches for sharing the responsibilities of fire management?