The Korea Forest Service announced that a resolution to strengthen global wildfire management was adopted at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) held in Nairobi, Kenya, from the 8th to the 12th. The resolution emphasizes that wildfires cause biodiversity loss, forest degradation, air pollution, and significant human and property damage, urging the international community to strengthen cooperation for effective wildfire prevention, early warning, response, and recovery.
The resolution recommends integrated efforts such as strengthening wildfire response capabilities, exchanging technology and information, and improving policies and systems. It particularly emphasizes strengthening the international cooperation system centered on the Global Wildfire Management Hub. The hub, which was launched with contributions from South Korea in cooperation with the FAO and UNEP, includes participation from Germany, Canada, France, and Portugal.
The hub aims to enhance global wildfire response capabilities by establishing a wildfire management cooperation system based on the Integrated Fire Management approach, which includes pre-analysis and preparation, as well as post-response and recovery. Additionally, South Korea is actively participating as a core group member of the hub’s fire data working group, engaging in discussions on linking and standardizing wildfire data between countries.
Nam Song-hee, Director of International Forest Cooperation at the Korea Forest Service, stated that the adoption of this resolution reaffirms the Global Wildfire Management Hub, initiated by South Korea’s contributions, as a key platform for international wildfire response. She added that they plan to further enhance scientific and technological-based global cooperation to improve wildfire prediction and risk management models and increase the effectiveness of domestic wildfire policies.