|
|
|
|
|
|
Reducing Risks for Biodiversity Conservation Using Adaptive Fire Management
Winner
2009-5108
Fundacion Amigos de la Naturaleza (FAN-Bolivia)
Boliva
198046
Climate Risk Management with Multiple Benefits
Environment
2010
In Bolivia, as in many countries, farmers burn forests to expand farmland. To reduce the risk that this practice leads to uncontrolled forest fires, the Fundación Amigos de la Naturaleza and the Prefectura of the Department of Santa Cruz in Bolivia, will receive a DM award to coordinate burning to dates that offer favorable climate conditions, thereby reducing risk of runaway forest fires.
Objectives:
To reduce current fire frequencies, forest-fire impacts and future fire risks in 47 communities and estates around the protected areas in the Chiquitano region. The project will promote adjustments in burning practices in grasslands and croplands, and implement a forecast system that indicates favorable weather conditions, in order to reduce risks of fire across the grassland-forest interface. Lastly burning activities will be scheduled for periods that offer favorable weather conditions.
Rationale:
Recent regional climate modeling indicates that Bolivian dry forests will face higher fire risks caused by increases in mean annual temperatures until the end of this century. Increased fire frequency will directly affect the productive potential of the forests; a main source of income will be at stake, because most of the communities are involved in forestry activities. Most of the fires are caused by human activity, as farmers follow traditional agricultural customs. The program aims at coordinating and directing improved burning activities to dates that offer favorable climate conditions, reducing the risk of uncontrolled fire perpetuation.
Innovation / Expected Results:
Bypassing certain specific weather conditions through an improved spatiotemporal forecast of fire patterns that includes not only biophysical but socioeconomic data to calibrate the probability function, and improving burning practices, could substantially reduce fire occurrence. While available systems focus exclusively on fires within forests, the proposed forecast system will be capable of identifying favorable weather conditions to reduce the impact of burning practices that occur not only in forest areas, but on grasslands and croplands.