Fire drivers and impacts, and the characterization of structural fire risk and post-fire erosion risk in Portugal
Joana Parente (cE3c – CCIAM)
Wildfires are uncontrolled fires that usually occurred in rural areas or in rural-urban-interface, which burn human land use parcels, semi-natural areas, and wildlands. The wildfire-prone regions in the world range from tropical savannahs to boreal forests characterized by factors and conditions required for fire activity. In the last 20 years, wildfires were the 5th costliest and the 6th most frequent type of disaster in the world. In addition, wildfires are frequently considered as an important driver of forest soil erosion and land degradation.
This presentation will show the findings from (i) the identification and characterization of the spatial and temporal variability of wildfire incidence as well as its main drivers in Portugal. (ii) modelling the structural fire risk and post-fire soil erosion risk in the vegetated area of Portugal; and (iii) the assessment of post-fire soil erosion patterns at the decadal scale.
The outcomes of this presentation are a valuable tool for the development of monitoring and forecasting systems, with the aim of the development of strategies for wildfire prevention, preparedness and response activities, as well as adaptation to climate change. Additionally, this information is extremely useful for land managers in the post-fire decision-making process, as it allows the early identification of critical areas for the implementation of emergency stabilization measures.
Thursday, February 24, 2022, at 12h00-13h00 (Lisbon, Portugal time)