During the workshop, the national LFM stakeholders were introduced to the new Landscape Fire Governance Framework, a valuable outcome presented at the 8th International Wildland Fire Conference in Porto. The primary focus was on developing the Country report with LFM guidelines and engaging the national LFM network members (science-practice policy interface) in its formulation.
The workshop commenced with a warm welcome from Mr. Dragan Otasevic, Director of the Directorate for Forestry, Hunting, and Wood Industry at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management of the Republic of Montenegro. Recognizing the significance of the LFMWB Programme, Mr. Otasevic emphasized its role in enhancing capacities, cooperation, and policies related to LFM in Montenegro, while also fostering collaboration with other Western Balkan countries. He highlighted the pivotal role of the Country report as the foundation for better understanding, planning, and effective response to landscape fire challenges, emphasizing the importance of stakeholder participation in the process of its preparation.
Continuing the momentum, Mr. Cvetan Nikolovski, the team leader of the LFMWB Programme, extended a warm welcome to the participants and underscored the need for regional cooperation in addressing landscape fire risks and threats. With a focus on prevention, preparedness, and reevaluating landscape fire management at local, national, and regional levels, he emphasized the program’s holistic approach, encompassing forests, agricultural land, pastures, and peri-urban areas. While prevention is the focus of the LFMWB Programme, the significance of swift and effective fire control interventions was also acknowledged.
Mr. Nikola Nikolov, the head of the Regional Fire Monitoring Center, presented a comprehensive explanation of the new Landscape Fire Governance Framework from the 8th International Wildland Fire Conference in Porto. His presentation emphasized the importance of prevention, society’s preparedness, and adaptive risk management in achieving Sustainable Development Goals and minimizing losses from landscape fires.
The workshop further included the presentation of the Country report with LFM guidelines by the Country Project Staff, Mr. Srdjan Sasic. Stakeholders actively engaged in discussions, sharing their valuable contributions to the report’s development.
The workshop witnessed active participation from stakeholders representing over 20 different institutions, spanning the realms of science, practices, and policy sectors in Montenegro. The attendees demonstrated a keen interest in landscape fire management, actively participating in fruitful discussions. They emphasized the significance of implementing appropriate prevention measures and emphasized the need for concise LFM guidelines and cohesive LFM systems at the national level. The LFM stakeholders expressed their unwavering commitment to continued collaboration within the LFM network in Montenegro.
