On April 13th, 2023, the Initial Landscape Fire Management (LFM) national workshop was held in Pristina as part of the Landscape Fire Management in the Western Balkans (LFMWB) Programme. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development (MAFRD) of the Republic of Kosovo (UNSCR 1244/1999), as the LFMWB Country Partner Institution (CPI), organized the workshop in collaboration with the Regional Fire Monitoring Center (RFMC) to introduce LFM stakeholders to the LFM concept and their roles in the LFM networks. The workshop aimed to contribute to the process of developing Country reports with LFM guidelines.
During the opening speech, the Secretary-General, Mr. Blerim Hasani, emphasized the Ministry’s dedication to ensuring efficient fire prevention and sustainable forest management, including the need to identify effective strategies and policies for better landscape fire management. He highlighted the Ministry’s responsibility in implementing the LFMWB Programme activities.
The Team Leader of the LFMWB Programme, Mr. Cvetan Nikolovski, highlighted the need for national and regional cooperation to tackle the risks and threats of landscape fires effectively. He stressed the importance of holistic and timely responses, focusing on prevention and preparedness, and rethinking landscape fire management at local, national, and regional levels. The LFMWB Programme aims to increase regional cooperation and contribute to a substantial and lasting collaboration in the Western Balkans.
Ms. Ardiana Efendija Zhuri, the representative of the Embassy of Switzerland in Kosovo (UNSCR 1244/1999), pointed out the need for better cooperation and coordination at the regional and national levels to deal with landscape fires. She emphasized the important role of establishing effective and active national networks that serve as a science-practice-policy interface for LFM.
The head of RFMC, Mr. Nikola Nikolov, thoroughly explained the principles of the landscape fire management approach and the role of RFMC as the regional cooperation mechanism and knowledge network on LFM in the Western Balkans. He aimed to create a common understanding among the participants about landscape fire management, the current situation in the Western Balkans, and the cooperation opportunities at the national and regional level.
The workshop was attended by stakeholders from over 25 different relevant institutions, including science, practice, and policy sectors from the Republic of Kosovo (UNSCR 1244/1999), who actively participated in the discussions. They jointly agreed on the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration and alignment of the roles of the institutions regarding LFM. They emphasized the significance of focusing on prevention and preparedness and the need for the cohesion of the LFM system at the national level. The LFM stakeholders expressed their willingness to continue their work and establish a fully operational LFM network at the national level to contribute to creating fire-resilient landscapes.
