Training local fire brigades, drones, satellite data, and firebreaks are just some of the tools we have implemented. In Monte Verde, Bolivia, our efforts, in collaboration with the Indigenous Peoples Chiquitano, who have resulted in a 59 percent reduction in areas affected by wildfires from 2021 to 2022.
Climate change and human activities are contributing to more frequent and intense wildfires. Global temperature increases, combined with deforestation and forest degradation, result in hotter and drier weather that makes forests highly flammable, while increased wind speeds cause fires to spread more quickly. In 2022, the UN published a report estimating that the number of extreme wildfires would rise by up to 30 percent by 2050, and that we must learn to live with more frequent and intense fires. These are grim prospects for the future.
Climate change demands that we act proactively and adapt to this new reality. In this regard, prevention is a key concept. It is easier to extinguish a small spark than a raging wildfire, and it only makes sense to plant trees if they are not going to burn down again the following year.
Therefore, Forests of the World implements fire prevention measures as part of some of our projects in areas that are particularly vulnerable to wildfires. Our fire prevention efforts are always carried out in close collaboration with local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and our local partners. This is crucial to ensuring that the efforts are as effective as possible.
Satellite Images and Drones Warn of Fires
Forests of the World contributes by providing training, equipment, and instruction on various digital tools, including tools for early wildfire detection, which improves the ability to prevent escalation. One of our tools is satellite monitoring. Jens Noe Hansen, technical advisor at Forests of the World, explains:
“We use something called ‘Early Warning,’ which is a system that alerts us to ‘hotspots’ using satellite images or thermal sensors.” A ‘hotspot’ is an area where an unusually high temperature has been detected, typically indicating a wildfire. “When the alert comes in, a local response team moves out into the field and locates the area using a geolocation app on their mobile phones. They then report back on whether there is an actual wildfire underway that is at risk of escalating and requires intervention, or if it was a false alarm,” he explains.
Above are two satellite images of the Monte Verde territory with hotspots – the red dots – from FIRMS for the last 28 days of October in 2021 at the top and the same period the following year at the bottom. The number of hotspots and area affected is smaller in 2022 than the previous year.
In addition to satellite monitoring and forest monitoring on foot, by motorcycle, boat, or car, the Indigenous Peoples have also been trained to use drones that can spot wildfires. Previously, drones were primarily used to monitor the borders around Indigenous Peoples’ territories, especially to detect illegal encroachment. However, the intensifying wildfires have led to an increased use of drones in fire surveillance. In several locations, the drones are even equipped with thermal cameras, making it easier to detect and track fires, even at night.
Preventive Measures in the Forest
VAlongside the technological solutions that help detect emerging wildfires, climate resilience of the forests is an essential part of fire prevention. As mentioned, it’s easier to extinguish a spark than a wildfire, but it’s best if the spark never ignites at all. Climate resilience involves adapting forest areas to reduce the risk of wildfires occurring, while strengthening their resilience if the worst happens.
Agroforestry is also part of Forests of the World’s work on fire prevention, where we support small farmers in Latin America and East Africa in establishing agroforestry systems. It is a sustainable way to combine trees and agriculture. In the Monte Verde territory in Bolivia, we carried out a pilot project called ‘Agriculture Without Burning’ in three local communities. The purpose was to demonstrate that crops can be grown without prior burning. This method combines tree cultivation and agriculture on the same land, and it turns out to be much more fire-preventive than traditional slash-and-burn practices.
In slash-and-burn agriculture, vegetation is periodically burned, and the soil is cultivated for a limited period before it is left fallow to regain fertility. In contrast, agroforestry maintains a permanent tree cover, which preserves the soil’s fertility, protects it from drying out, and lowers the temperature, thereby reducing the risk of fires. Additionally, the high biodiversity—and a focus on local, resilient tree species—helps reduce the impact of wildfires.
Firebreaks are another measure that Forests of the World helps implement in countries like Bolivia and Honduras. A firebreak refers to a belt-shaped area that is intentionally cleared to create a barrier that wildfires have difficulty crossing.
Firebreaks in the unique open pine savannah in the La Moskitia region of Honduras, here close to the village of Tipí, where World Forests works with the indigenous people to protect their territory. Photo by Karen Andersen.
Hope for the Forests’ Future
Bolivia is home to 36 different Indigenous Peoples, 34 of whom live in biodiverse lowland areas, which also contain the highest biodiversity in the country. Unfortunately, some of these areas are particularly vulnerable to wildfires. Between 2010 and 2020, over five million hectares, or 42 percent of Indigenous Peoples’ territories, were affected by fires.
In 2019 and again in 2020, the territory of the Indigenous Peoples Chiquitano in Monte Verde was particularly hard-hit by the flames. Forests of the World stepped in and, in collaboration with the Chiquitano people and our Bolivian partner, APCOB, began restoring the affected areas while also increasing preventive efforts to avoid future fires.
Together with our local partners, we have coordinated and carried out reforestation of strategically selected areas, with a strong focus on fire prevention. Measures include the establishment of firebreaks and agroforestry, upgrading firefighting equipment, training local fire brigades, and awareness campaigns.
The awareness campaigns aim to inform local communities about the growing threat of wildfires and educate them on how to manage them effectively. Through radio and social media, APCOB led campaigns like this one in 2022, called ”Some of Ours is burning”.
These efforts have contributed to a 59 percent reduction in areas affected by wildfires in the Monte Verde territory from 2021 to 2022
In addition to the decline in the number and spread of wildfires, the restoration work has also shown surprisingly positive results for wildlife. Jaguars, pumas, tapirs and many other endangered specieshave already returned to the areas. Jens Noe Hansen explains part of this resurgence by noting that wildfires impact areas selectively:
“Many people think that wildfires leave landscapes completely burned and scorched, but the reality is more complex. Wildfires affect spots where the driest and most vulnerable areas burn completely, while the flames quickly pass over other areas where the understory is more moist. In addition, certain tree species are so resilient that they can survive even intense wildfires. This means that in some areas, the focus should be on protecting the spontaneous regrowth of new trees, while in the most severely affected areas, tree planting is needed to speed up the reforestation process.”
In a world where wildfires present a growing threat to forests, fire prevention measures are crucial. An even better solution, however, would be to stop deforestation. This solution would not only improve the living conditions for nature, animals, and humans, but it would also directly counteract the global temperature increases that affect the frequency and intensity of wildfires.
Press Contact
Jonas Schmidt Hansen
Who is Forests of the World?
We work to preserve the world’s forests, both in Denmark and the world’s tropical forests.Our focus areas include sustainability, Indigenous Peoples and local engagement.