In the frame of the SDC’s Landscape Fire Management in the Western Balkans (LFMWB) Programme, the second Landscape Fire Management (LFM) workshop was held in Pristina on August 24, 2023. This workshop represents a pivotal event for the national LFM network and it was organized by the LFMWB’s Country Partner Institution (CPI), the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Rural Development of Kosovo (UNSCR 1244/1999), in collaboration with the Regional Fire Monitoring Center (RFMC).
During the workshop, the national LFM stakeholders were introduced to the Landscape Fire Governance Framework, a significant outcome presented at the 8th International Wildland Fire Conference in Porto. The primary emphasis was placed on developing the Country report with LFM guidelines and actively engaging the national LFM network members, bridging the science, practice, and policy sectors.
Mr. Tahir Ahmeti, Director of the Forestry Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Rural Development, opened the workshop. He welcomed the participants and highlighted that the Landscape Fire Management in the Western Balkans Programme aims to encourage regional cooperation, develop common policies, create regional and national LFM strategies, and provide guidelines for LFM in the Western Balkans countries. He also emphasized the role of all stakeholders in the Republic of Kosovo (UNSCR 1244/1999). The Western Balkans is one of the most affected regions in Europe by landscape fires. Climate change, land use change, and rural migration are increasing the vulnerability of the ecosystem to landscape fires in the region. To mitigate the negative impacts of landscape fires in the Western Balkans, comprehensive cross-border collaboration and knowledge exchange are essential to strengthen wildfire management capacities.
Furthermore, Mr. Cvetan Nikolovski, the Team Leader of the LFMWB Programme, underscored the necessity of regional cooperation in addressing landscape fire risks and challenges. With a strategic focus on prevention, preparedness, and reevaluating landscape fire management at local, national, and regional levels, he emphasized the Programme‘s holistic approach, encompassing forests, agricultural lands, pastures, and peri-urban areas. It was pointed out that the prevention stands as the central pillar of the LFMWB Programme.
Mr. Albert Behrami, Advisor to the Minister at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Rural Development, was among the distinguished attendees at the workshop. Key stakeholders in the Landscape Fire Management Programme, including representatives from the realms of science, practice, and policy sectors within the Republic of Kosovo (UNSCR 1244/1999), participated actively.
Mr. Nikola Nikolov, the head of the Regional Fire Monitoring Center, delivered a presentation on the Landscape Fire Governance Framework from the 8th International Wildland Fire Conference in Porto. His presentation underscored the importance of prevention, preparedness, and adaptive fire risk management in achieving Sustainable Development Goals and minimizing losses arising from landscape fires.
The workshop additionally featured a presentation of the Country report with LFM guidelines, presented by the Country Project Staff, Arlinda Gashi. The stakeholders were engaged in discussions, contributing valuable insights to the report’s development.
The workshop observed enthusiastic involvement from stakeholders representing more than 20 diverse institutions, covering the science, practice, and policy sectors in Kosovo (UNSCR 1244/1999). Participants showed an interest in landscape fire management, actively contributing to productive discussions. They underscored the significance of implementing prevention measures and stressed the need for clear and unified LFM guidelines at the national level.
