• fr
  • en

Social Innovations reduce the impact of forest fires in rural Catalonia

At SIMRA’s first General Assembly, celebrated in Barcelona last May at the Mediterranean European Forest Institute (EFIMED), we got the chance to see first-hand how inhabitants of the Comarca of Bages are minimizing the impact of forest fires in their area. This location was a very fitting place to learn about the efforts as two years previously, in the summer of 2015, a forest fire occurred here in the municipality of Òdena.

But let’s start from the beginning. In the 20th Century, rural exodus and the resulting abandoning of cultivated land, led to former agricultural lands being converted into forests. Because of this increase in forested area and the resulting fires, in the 1960s, local residents and land-owners got together to create fire-fighting and immediate response groups. In 1986, these groups became official Forestry Defence Groups (called “ADF” for “Agrupacions de Defensa Forestal”). ADFs are non-for-profit organisations and their aim is to prevent and fight forest fires. They are made up of forestry land-owners, town councils from the regional municipalities as well as volunteers and they coordinate their work with the Fire and Rescue Service.

The ADF of Castellfollit del Boix covers a total area of 5 942 hectares of which 4 397 ha are made up of forests, in other words, 79% of the total area. The forests are an important asset for the local residents; they provide a space in which to carry out various activities such as walking or mushroom picking. To protect this natural resource, the ADF has made contributions to a municipal plan for forest fires, they carry out campaigns with farmers and in schools, they safeguard water points and the mountain access tracks and they receive specialised training from the fire-fighters. When fire breaks out within the municipality, the emergency services alert the ADF and they spring into action. Often, they arrive at the fire before the fire-fighters so the first steps they take directly effects the evolution of the fire. When the fire-fighters arrive, the ADF work alongside them to tackle the fire. When a nearby municipality needs their help, the Comarca’s centre coordinates with them to help their neighbours, because forest fires do not stop at administrative borders. The ADF of Castellfollit del Boix is a social initiative which has allowed neighbours to come together over decades to prevent and put out fires, thereby protecting a common good: their town, landscape and forestry resources.  There are two different types of members, those with a green card (16 years and older) who help out with any general tasks, but not with fire-fighting. Then there are those with a yellow card (18 years and older) who have the specific training and equipment to help, in a coordinated and safe way, with the dangerous task of putting out a fire.

Despite their efforts, the people of Castellfollit del Boix have seen the scale of forest fires increasing each year, hile at the same time forestry practices to prevent them (clearings, scrub clearance) are becoming more and more expensive. Nevertheless, over the last decade, the use of forestry biomass to create energy has provided a way to cover the costs of forest interventions. Not only does this improve the economic sustainability of preventing fires, but it also supports the economy of this rural area. For this reason, they decided to innovate, becoming a cooperative that uses trees which are felled to prevent forest fires to make woodchips for biomass boilers. In this way, not only are they preventing forest fires and generating clean energy, but they are also creating employment and encouraging people to stay in the area.

More information

To know more about the ADF’s work, visit their website: http://www.federacioadfbages.org

Source

Article originally published on SIMRA’s website (Horizon 2020 project) and co-written by Lucía López Marco (IAMZ-CIHEAM), Elena Górriz (EFIMED) and Becky Stoakes (IAMZ-CIHEAM).

Share
13 June 2017

Euromontana sur Facebook

3 hours ago

Euromontana
We were today at the European Committee of the Regions too meet with regional policymakers from the Carpathians ⛰🤝 Thank you to Witold Kozłowski from the Małopolska region - also a new member of our Board of Directors - for our discussions!𝗪𝘀𝗽𝗼́𝗹𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗠𝗮ł𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝘀𝗸𝗶 𝗶 𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗶 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗻𝗮 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗿. 👍Obecność wicemarszałka Witold Kozłowski w Brukseli podczas 163. Sesji Plenarnej Europejskiego Komitetu Regionów dała okazję do spotkania z dyrektorem Europejskiego Stowarzyszenia Obszarów Górskich Euromontana Guillaume Corradino. | Więcej 👇 ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

1 day ago

Euromontana
One month since the #mountainconvention2024 in Puigcerdà! 🏔️ What future for #mountaineconomies? Find all the key insights in the event report! 📝🙏 Thank you to all stakeholders who shared their ideas, projects and recommendations for a brighter future in the mountains!Report 🔗 www.euromontana.org/outcomes ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

3 days ago

Euromontana
Explore the new guide on ‘rural proofing for the evaluation of the rural perspective in laws, policies, plans and strategies’: bit.ly/3O995FiPublished by the Red Española de Desarrollo Rural (REDR), it intends to support authorities in incorporating a rural angle when designing, implementing, and reviewing policies and regulations.Find more information here: bit.ly/4ev41FK #RuralPact #RuralVisionEUELARD aisbl EESC - European Economic and Social Committee European Rural Development Network ODRAZ-Održivi razvoj zajednice Prepare AISBL Luonnonvarakeskus Smeunited Euromontana Diesis Network Wallonie.be ECOLISE EU CAP Network Netzwerk Zukunftsraum Land Vlaams Ruraal Netwerk Réseau wallon PAC Ruralni razvoj RH Ministerstvo zemědělství Netwerk Platteland / Netherlands Rural Network Maaeluvõrgustik Maaseutu - Tilaa elämälle Réseau national Agricultures et Ruralités 2023 - 2027 Deutsche Vernetzungsstelle Ländliche Räume Εθνικό Αγροτικό Δίκτυο - Greek National Rural Network Magyar Nemzeti Vidéki Hálózat CAP Network Ireland Rete Rurale Nazionale Lauku tīkls Ministère de l'Agriculture, de l'Alimentation et de la Viticulture Fondi.eu Krajowa Sieć Obszarów Wiejskich+ Rede Rural Nacional Rețeaua Rurală Națională - RRN Mreža za podeželje ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

2 weeks ago

Euromontana
Today, members of the Rural Pact Coordination Group (RPCG) meet online to discuss: • The forthcoming RPCG Declaration on the future of EU rural policy, which addresses the open questions in the @European Commission’s ‘key achievements and ways forward’ report;• RPCG members’ position papers on the future of Europe’s rural areas;• RPCG members’ role in the Rural Pact Conference of April 2025;• Members’ actions to date & the Rural Pact Support Office 2025 work programme.More information at: bit.ly/4fwtjnS#RuralPact #RuralVisionEU ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

Euromontana sur Twitter