The process of developing national policy guidelines for landscape fire management (LFM) in North Macedonia was launched during a workshop held on 6 April 2026 with members of the National LFM Network. The event gathered around 25 representatives from institutions and organisations involved in LFM and policy development.
Opening remarks were delivered by Jordan Zdravkovski, representative of the Ministry of Forestry, Agriculture and Water Economy, and Cvetan Nikolovski, Team Leader of the Landscape Fire Management in the Western Balkans (LFMWB) Programme. They highlighted the growing risks associated with landscape fires and emphasised the importance of coordinated action, pointing to the National LFM Network as an important platform for policy dialogue and institutional cooperation.
Simona Mladenovska, policy expert from the Belgrade Open School, presented the proposed structure and methodology for preparing the guidelines. Participants engaged in facilitated discussions to provide feedback on the proposed approach and contribute inputs that will inform the drafting process in the coming months.
The workshop focused on identifying key priorities and directions for the future guidelines, which aim to strengthen the country’s approach to landscape fire prevention, preparedness, suppression, and post-fire restoration. Through interactive discussions and group sessions, participants shared practical insights from their institutional experience and provided recommendations that will support the development of policy guidelines tailored to the country’s needs and challenges.
The workshop was organised within the framework of the LFMWB Programme, financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and coordinated by Farmahem – Skopje as the Regional Executive Agency, with backstopping support from Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation.