We are pleased to announce a significant milestone for the SEMEDFIRE project: the official submission of two crucial deliverables, D4.3 “Integrated Fire Management Strategy for Cyprus and the Region” and D5.3 “Forest Fires Community Engagement Plan for Cyprus and the Region”.
These reports, developed with funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Programme under Grant Agreement no. 101079337 , represent a major step forward in enhancing fire safety and management capabilities in Cyprus, the South Eastern Mediterranean, and across Europe. The SEMEDFIRE project aims to bolster the European University Cyprus – CERIDES as a beacon of fire-science excellence in the region through extensive networking and knowledge transfer with leading European counterparts.
Deliverable D4.3, the “Integrated Fire Management Strategy for Cyprus and the Region,” addresses the escalating wildfire risk exacerbated by climate change and land abandonment in Cyprus. This strategy marks a crucial paradigm shift from solely focusing on fire suppression to emphasizing comprehensive prevention and improved landscape resilience through vegetation management. Developed through participatory workshops with a diverse range of stakeholders, including governmental authorities, civil society organizations, private companies, and research institutes, the report identifies 12 key challenges and outlines a detailed action plan to protect lives, infrastructure, and ecosystems from uncontrolled wildfires. These challenges cover critical areas such as governance, land planning, cooperation, communication, digital information management, and financial mechanisms, providing a robust framework for a fire-resilient future.
Complementing this strategy, Deliverable D5.3, the “Forest Fires Community Engagement Plan for Cyprus and the Region,” provides detailed insights into fostering active community involvement in wildfire management. It outlines how to address the challenges identified in D4.3 by proposing actionable steps for stakeholders and responsible parties. The plan underscores the importance of collaboration between various actors, including firefighters, foresters, farmers, and local communities, to enhance landscape resilience. It highlights the role of traditional practices like agro-pastoralism and controlled grazing, alongside innovation in early fire detection and communication systems. The document also emphasizes improving risk communication, developing training programs, and ensuring post-fire recovery and rehabilitation efforts are more resilient.
The submission of these two deliverables marks a pivotal moment for the SEMEDFIRE project, solidifying a comprehensive and integrated approach to wildfire management. By shifting focus to prevention, fostering extensive collaboration, and empowering communities, these strategies are designed to significantly improve Cyprus’s resilience to wildfires and contribute to broader fire management efforts across the South Eastern Mediterranean and Europe. A third crucial deliverable, the D6.3 “Fire-Governance and Agencies-Interoperability White Paper”, is due for submission in November 2025. This last deliverable will constitute the culmination of the work of Work Package 6, and will highlight how EUC-CERIDES, the Widening Institution of SEMEDFIRE, puts to tangible use and praxis the expertise and knowledge transferred by the French Advanced Partners.
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