Donor:
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), through the Landscape Fire Management in the Western Balkans (LFMWB) Programme
Implementers:
Lead applicant: Kreo Association
https://organizatakreo.org/about-us/
Co-applicant(s): National Forest Agency (NFA)
https://akpyje.gov.al
Co-applicant(s): Organized Youth Association (OYA)
https://www.facebook.com/OrganizedYouthAssociation/
Type of Project:
Cross-border: Albania and North Macedonia
Project Duration: 14 months (start 02 Dec 2024 end in 02 Feb 2025)
Total Budget: 86400 CHF
Scope:
(Bulqiza (Albania), Burrel (Albania), Gostivar (Northern Macedonia), Mavrova and Rostusha (Northern Macedonia).
Main Beneficiaries:
Communities in Bulqiza and Librazhd in Albania, and Gostivar and Mavrovо and Rostusha in North Macedonia, as well as national bodies for management of landscape fires in Albania and North Macedonia. A key focus will be on the 14 community leaders, evenly split between Albania and North Macedonia, who will be trained and actively involved in LFM initiatives.
Overall Goal:
Prevention of Landscape Fires in critical areas across Albania and North Macedonia, in accordance with the approach of community interaction, towards self-sustainable initiatives for landscape fire management (LFM).
Expected Results:
– Enhanced capacity and interaction of community leaders in Albania and North Macedonia, towards personalized, mixed LFM approaches contextualized for both countries.
– Enhanced community awareness on traditional and modern LFM approaches relative to community-driven simulations, stories and mottos from Albania and North Macedonia.
– Strengthened cross-border cooperation from Albania and North Macedonia of case-by-case analyses based on mixed LFM approaches.
Current Activities:
Through the CYCLE-FIRE project, 14 community leaders—equally split between the two countries—have embarked on a transformative journey to become champions of sustainable fire management. A tailored training module was crafted by experts from the National Forestry Agency, blending traditional fire control knowledge with modern techniques adapted to the challenges of climate change.
From May 23 to 27, 2025, the selected leaders—representing diverse backgrounds and ensuring gender balance—gathered for an immersive experience. They didn’t just learn; they engaged in interactive sessions, explored real-life case studies, and visited fire-prone zones and the Burrel fire station, to be able to disseminate the knowledge—ready to inspire and educate their communities.
At the same time, a vibrant social media strategy was launched across Instagram and Facebook, designed to educate and include communities. Using reels, infographics, and stories, the campaign highlighted the importance of community-driven landscape fire management.
The content wasn’t just posted—it was shared by the leaders themselves, amplifying the message and creating a ripple effect across border.
Two study visits were organized, where participants explored how traditional fire prevention methods—like firebreaks, grazing management, and seasonal fire planning—could be harmonized with modern techniques. These visits weren’t just educational—they were deeply cultural, allowing participants to see how natural barriers and local knowledge shaped fire management practices in each region.
Additional Information (Optional):
Innovation lies primarily in combining, through “weighted” approach, the traditional and modern LFM techniques/examples based on tailored intervention to produce a fuller program for prevention and protection against landscape fires. Through sustainable and active plan from the future generations (youth) and supporting a unified context analysis for both LFM techniques/examples in Albania and Northern Macedonia, CYCLE-FIRE uses thematic components to address adaptation of LFM with local and cross-border contexts of fire management on critical landscapes, but not only.
