On 3 December 2025, North Macedonia marked an important milestone in advancing the National Strategy for Adaptive Landscape Management and Landscape Fire Management. The 9th meeting of the National Landscape Fire Management (LFM) Network brought together more than 35 LFM stakeholders, including governmental institutions, research organizations, civil society, academia, and operational services. Their collective expertise formed the foundation for a constructive and forward-looking discussion on the country’s LFM strategic direction.
The event was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy of North Macedonia, the lead institution in developing the Strategy, as part of the Landscape Fire Management in the Western Balkans (LFMWB) Programme, financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and coordinated by Farmahem.
The workshop opened with remarks from Mr. Jordan Zdravkovski, Head of the Forestry and Hunting Sector at the Ministry, who welcomed participants and emphasized the importance of the National LFM Network in shaping a coherent, coordinated, and science-based approach to LFM. He highlighted the strategic document as a crucial step toward building long-term prevention, preparedness and resilience.
Mr. Cvetan Nikolovski, Team Leader of the LFMWB Programme, addressed the audience with reflections on the progress achieved so far, acknowledging the strong cooperation among institutions and the tangible results generated through the LFMWB Programme. He expressed appreciation for the active engagement of national stakeholders and wished the participants a productive working session.
The core of the workshop centered on the presentation of the draft Strategy, delivered by Mr. Bojan Mihajlovski, LFMWB Country Project Staff. His overview set the stage for meaningful dialogue, presenting the strategic vision, objectives, proposed actions and indicators for adaptive landscape management and LFM. Participants engaged actively, contributing valuable insights.
Throughout the discussions, members of the National LFM Network finalized the Strategy. This collaborative effort marks an important step toward validating the LFM Strategy and strengthening coordinated cross-sectoral efforts in LFM.