Integrated Landscape Management for Forest Fire Resilience and Climate Change Adaptation

Key Learnings

• Stakeholder engagement: Forest owners and local residents play an active role in shaping the intervention plan, identifying feasible land use and occupation changes to enhance forest fire and climate resilience. Each community, in collaboration with key stakeholders, follows a participatory and tailored approach to ensure adaptation strategies are effectively aligned with local needs and conditions.
• Land use change: The participatory process informs the development of targeted actions and a customised forest management plan, including vegetation management. Such measures include replacing existing species with better fire-adapted alternative species and enhancing the sustainable use and value of existing forest areas.
• New business models: Some case studies show local communities and forest owners are open to adopting agroforestry species resilient to wildfires and climate change. However, to ensure economic benefits for those covering maintenance costs, there is a need for new sustainable business models.
• Communication and training: Training provides forest firefighters with best practices on managing inflammable vegetation and understanding natural processes, with a focus on on-site processing of residual forest biomass. It also fosters engagement with the local community, ensuring both safety and active participation in fire prevention efforts.

Summary

In Portugal’s Centro region, fragmented and predominantly privately owned forest areas pose significant challenges in addressing the severe risk of forest fires – one of the region’s most pressing climate risks. Landscape Management Integrated Areas provide a structured response to planning and landscape management, expanding the scale of managed forests. This approach enhances forest fire resilience, strengthens natural capital, and supports rural economies. Key elements include stakeholder engagement, sustainable land use change, innovative business models, targeted communication and training initiatives.

Contact

ccdrc [dot] projectsccdrc [dot] pt (ccdrc[dot]projects[at]ccdrc[dot]pt)