LFM Knowledge Exchange among Stakeholders from Switzerland and the Western Balkans

16.05.2025

As part of its ongoing efforts to foster cross-regional knowledge exchange between Switzerland and the Western Balkans, strengthen collaboration, and build fire resilience, the SDC’s Landscape Fire Management in the Western Balkans (LFMWB) Programme facilitated a knowledge exchange visit to Switzerland from 4–10 May 2025. The exchange was organized by Farmahem, acting as the Regional Executive Agency of the LFMWB Programme in collaboration with the Bern University of Applied Sciences – HAFL. It brought together representatives from key institutions across the Western Balkans and Switzerland, providing a platform to explore the Swiss approach to landscape fire management (LFM) through direct engagement with experts, practitioners, and local institutions.

During the event, LFMWB Programme partners visited strategic locations and institutions in the cantons of Ticino, Valais, and Bern—each selected to showcase different models of governance, community involvement, fire prevention, post-fire restoration measures, and integrated fire risk management practices. The knowledge exchange combined field visits with institutional meetings and concluded with a joint workshop in Bern.

In Ticino, participants visited the burned site above Verdasio, where they observed practical restoration efforts and post-fire management examples. Discussions were held with TI firefighters (Pompieri Locarno) and Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research – WSL researchers, including Boris Pezzatti, Marco Conedera, and Daniele Ryser, a committee member of the Ticino Cantonal Federation of Fire Brigades. Topics included cantonal cooperation, cross-border coordination, climate change impacts, and the integration of risk management in science and practice.

In Valais, the LFMWB team visited Visp and Leuk, where they examined burned sites from the past two decades and learned about restorative measures and risk mapping practices. Valuable insights were provided by Federico Ferrario (Ecoeng) and Daniel Kämpfer (forest engineer in the Canton of Valais), who explained how planning and post-fire management are coordinated in the canton.

In Bern, the LFMWB team met with Stefan Beyeler from the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) to discuss the application of the Canadian Fire Weather Index (FWI) in Switzerland and to gain a deeper understanding of how federal and cantonal responsibilities are aligned within the national fire risk framework. The visit concluded with a joint knowledge exchange workshop at HAFL, bringing together around 30 participants from Switzerland and the Western Balkans.

This exchange marks the beginning of a valuable collaboration between stakeholders from Switzerland and the Western Balkans, aimed at addressing existing gaps at both regional and national levels in the Western Balkans. Switzerland and the Western Balkans share a commitment to advancing landscape fire resilience through collaborative, inclusive, and evidence-based approaches.

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