European Forest Fire Monitoring using Information Systems

Programme 2007 - 2013 Interreg IVC

Date of latest update: 2025-06-21

Description

Description (EN):

This project aims to pool good practices (GPs) on exploitation of the usage of information systems in order to early detect, efficiently manage and handle forest fires and assess the damage caused and ways for regeneration. It aims to exchange good practices between the participating regions, so as to strengthen their position and capacities to respond better to the Lisbon and Gothenburg agendas on protection of the environment and the decreasing of CO2 emissions. Forest fires are a major problem for many European societies threatening human lives and property with disastrous impacts particularly at the wildland-urban interface. The only effective way to minimize damage caused by forest fires is their early detection and fast reaction, apart from preventive measures. Great efforts are therefore made to achieve early forest fire detection, which is traditionally based on human surveillance. However, in recent years, a more advanced approach to human forest fire surveillance has been utilised, which is based on the usage of information systems. The project will focus on the exchange of good practices between the regions and will seek to develop regional action plans for how each region can position itself better in using information systems to protect its natural resources against fire and how each region can align its national policy with the EU legislation related to forest fires. The project will use tested tools and methodologies to bring the transfer of good practices from the stronger standing regions to the weaker ones – namely site visits, taking stock of existing situations (environmental, meteorological, geographical) as well as potentials, piloting actions, outlining good practice catalogues and proposing concrete action plans. The project will use the principle of equal participation of all financing partners, and it will work concretely via the setting up of transnational (interregional) working groups that will take responsibility for the proper transfer of know-how on good practices according to “field of expertise”. Besides the exchange of knowledge and good practices, the project will envisage the implementation of targeted dissemination actions in key areas for forest fire detection and management. Namely, the project will examine how the transfer of specific expertise on these areas from some of the participating regions could benefit other participating “donor-regions”. In this way “donor-regions” will be offered the possibility to adopt more efficient methodologies and technologies in order to protect their natural resources against forest fires. Targeted dissemination will contribute to the project gaining wider acceptance, and it will actively involve relevant stakeholders.

Achievements (EN):

EFFMIS is an INTERREG IVC Capitalisation project running from 1st November 2010 until 31 January 2013 (extended end date). The project aims to pool good practices (GPs) on exploitation of the usage of Information Systems in order to early detect, efficiently manage and handle forest fires and assess the damage caused and ways for regeneration. During the 4th semester of the project, we focused on the exchange of good practices between regions and within this framework two study visits were organised, one in Rome 21-23/03/12,and one on 13-15/06/12 in Municipality Servia Velventos and Grevena , Greece. During the Study Visit organized by University of Rome La Sapienza team, the expert/stakeholders of the Rome Province had the opportunity to show in detail the characteristics of the 2 GPs CICLOPE and SFIDE. The partners visited the Montelibretti training school of Operational Training of the national Fire Corps in Italy and experienced a set of specialized training exercises in the Center's facility during the training courses of the Civil Protection personnel. Participants were acquanted with the simulation of accidents scenarios and relevant training activities. The visit proved to be quiet impressive and some of the partners expressed their interest to import similar training techniques in their country, During the study visit in Municipality of Servia - Velventos and Grevena experts on fire supression services and GIS data processing demonstrted a simulation of the SAFER system with an integrated GIS application in the burnt forest of Vleventos and the forest of Valia Kalda. The added value of the CS was that a Greek GP was enriched with the concept of the Italian GIS systems used for fire monitoring and combined effectively in a fire simulation system. The project web site was continuously updated with partners feedback and participation material of events held. Project partners organized six (6) dissemination events (Regional Transfer Workshops) either combined with interregional events or as individual events, for disseminating project’s Good Practices to regional stakeholders. Further to that Project partners participated in 10 other events for disseminating project objectives and results. Within the framework of the project period 3 Study Visits were organised, 3 staff exchanges and two contacts with other EU regions. The project’s final objective is the transfering, in the form of Regional Action Plans (RAPs), of previously identified good practices into mainstream Structural Funds programmes in regions wishing to improve their protection against forest fires using ICTs.All regions prepared the second draft of the Regional Action Plan which were reviewed by LP during the project meeting in Servia, Kozani. The mainstreaming guidebook was completed after receiving feedback from all PPs.

Thematic information

Managing natural and man-made threats, risk management Cooperation between emergency services

Partners (11)

Lead Partner: ΠΑΝΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΙΟ ΔΥΤΙΚΗΣ ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΑΣ

Address: Parko Agiou Dimitriou, 50100 Kozani, Greece

Legal status: n/a

Υπουργείο Περιβάλλοντος, Ενέργειας και Κλιματικής Αλλαγής

Name: Υπουργείο Περιβάλλοντος, Ενέργειας και Κλιματικής Αλλαγής

Address: 17, Amaliados St., 115 23 Athens, Greece

Legal status: n/a

Centro di Ricerca Progetto San Marco (CRPSM) – Università di Roma “La Sapienza”

Name: Centro di Ricerca Progetto San Marco (CRPSM) – Università di Roma “La Sapienza”

Address: Via Salaria, 851, 138 Rome, Italy

Legal status: n/a

VšĮ Kauno regioninis inovacijų centras

Name: VšĮ Kauno regioninis inovacijų centras

Address: K. Petrausko g. 26-221, 44156 Kaunas, Lithuania

Legal status: n/a

Instytut Badawczy Leśnictwa

Name: Instytut Badawczy Leśnictwa

Address: Sękocin Stary, ul. Braci Leśnej 3, 05-090 Raszyn, Poland

Legal status: n/a

Câmara Municipal de Baião

Name: Câmara Municipal de Baião

Address: Praca Herois do Ultramar, s/n, 4640-158 Baião, Portugal

Legal status: n/a

Gozdarski inštitut Slovenije

Name: Gozdarski inštitut Slovenije

Address: Večna pot 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Legal status: n/a

ΠΑΝΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΙΟ ΠΑΤΡΩΝ

Name: ΠΑΝΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΙΟ ΠΑΤΡΩΝ

Address: Panepistimioupoli, 26504 Patras, Greece

Legal status: n/a

Fundación Centro de Servicios y Promoción Forestal y de su Industria de Castilla y Léon

Name: Fundación Centro de Servicios y Promoción Forestal y de su Industria de Castilla y Léon

Address: Polígono Industrial Las Casas C/c parcel 4, 42005 Soria, Spain

Legal status: n/a

Изпълнителна агенция по горите

Name: Изпълнителна агенция по горите

Address: 55, "Hristo Botev" blvd., 1040 Sofia, Bulgaria

Legal status: n/a

Coventry University

Name: Coventry University

Address: Technocentre, Coventry University Technology Park, Puma Way, CV1 2TT Coventry, United Kingdom

Legal status: n/a

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Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): European Forest Fire Monitoring using Information Systems

Project acronym: EFFMIS

Project start date: 2010-11-01

Project end date: 2012-10-31

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 1 772 030.00

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 1 453 135.00

Co-financing sources:

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2007 - 2013 Interreg IVC

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2015-09-01

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

204 / 204 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

2 250 / 2 250 (100%)

Notes on the data

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European Forest Fire Monitoring using Information Systems

Description

Thematic information

Partners (11)

Partners map

Summary

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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