To ensure consistency, coordination, and clarity across institutions and communities, the Landscape Fire Management (LFM) Guidelines in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina are structured around four key phases: Prevention, Preparedness, Suppression, and Post-Fire Management.
These guidelines aim to support authorities, communities, and stakeholders in making informed decisions and taking effective action to reduce risks and enhance resilience.
1.Prevention
Prevention efforts focus on reducing the likelihood of landscape fires through legislation, education, data systems, and community engagement:
- Fire Risk Mapping: An interactive fire risk map helps identify high-risk zones and prioritize preventive actions.
- Unified Database: A centralized database covering all cantons enables better analysis and decision-making based on historical fire data.
- Harmonized Legal Framework: Laws at both federal and cantonal levels must be aligned with LFM principles. A federal law on forests is urgently needed.
- Forest Management Plans (FMPs): LFM principles should be integrated into forest operational planning, including ten-year FMPs and harvest projects.
- Early Warning Systems: Use of satellite imagery, real-time data, and alerts improves both prevention and preparedness.
- LFM in Education: Integrating LFM principles into school curricula builds awareness and responsibility from an early age.
- Community Awareness: Outreach campaigns targeting rural areas help prevent uncontrolled burning and accidental spread of fire.
- Accountability: Strengthening penalties for fire-related offenses and ensuring offender prosecution serves as a strong deterrent.
2.Preparedness
Preparedness guidelines promote early action and improved response capacity across all institutional levels:
- Landscape Fire Protection Plans: These plans, to be developed at the federal level, will ensure unified approaches across cantons.
- Remote Sensing for Early Detection: Drones and thermal cameras allow for faster and more accurate detection of fires.
- Fuel Breaks and Access Roads: These physical barriers help slow the spread of fires and improve firefighting logistics.
- Fuel Classification and Mapping: Knowing the type, location, and quantity of flammable biomass is crucial to reducing fire risks.
- Institutional Cooperation: Strengthening collaboration across cantonal and entity levels ensures more coordinated response and prevention.
- Cross-border Collaboration: Joint efforts with neighboring countries support shared learning, capacity building, and preparedness.
- Offender Registry: A centralized list of known fire starters will assist investigations and legal procedures.
- Cadastral Data Harmonization: Aligning official land use records with reality is essential for planning and LFM.
- Demining Priorities: As 10% of forest areas are affected by UXO, fire-related demining must be prioritized.
- Weather Data Integration: Daily risk assessments from the Federal Hydrometeorological Institute should inform fire response strategies.
3.Suppression
Effective suppression guidelines outline necessary improvements in firefighting systems and institutional collaboration:
- Unified Emergency Number: Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to fully implement the 112 emergency number system to streamline responses.
- Aerial Firefighting System: Current reliance on helicopters and foreign assistance must evolve into a dedicated aerial suppression system.
- Equipment Modernization: Significant investment is needed in firefighting tools and vehicles, especially for cantonal forestry companies.
- Training and Education: Firefighters, foresters, and local responders need regular training in up-to-date firefighting techniques.
- Institutional Coordination: Administrative complexity should be addressed through structured cooperation during emergencies.
4.Post-Fire Management
Post-fire strategies ensure that recovery and rehabilitation are based on science and help prevent future incidents:
- Damage Assessment Methodology: A standardized system should be created to assess direct (biomass loss) and indirect (rehabilitation costs) damages.
- Mixed Forest Stands: Replanting with species more resistant to fires supports ecological recovery and long-term resilience.
- Monitoring Burned Areas: Long-term observation of fire-affected zones is key to evaluating recovery and future management plans.
- Pest and Pathogen Prevention: Burned ecosystems are more vulnerable to invasive species and disease. Prophylactic measures are necessary post-fire.
- Remote Sensing for Recovery: High-resolution satellite data helps monitor vegetation regrowth, assess soil health, and guide future LFM planning.