INCENDI - Programme de coopération pour la gestion du risque incendie dans les territoires du bassin méditerranéen
The years 2004 and 2005 have been catastrophic with regard to forest fires around the Mediterranean.This return of serious fires makes it necessary to consider, on a Euro-Mediterranean scale, the efficiency of policies adopted and how they fit in with planning in the regional territories. These territories are increasingly exposed to the risk of fire for a number of reasons: • Development and poorly controlled development of the countryside. • The extension in both surface area and volume of woodland because of the abandonment of agriculture. • Increasing numbers of summer residents • Increasing visits to sensitive areas Overall objective / Objectif général The Incendi project aims to offer an area for experimentation and improvement of regional policies regarding forest fires, and to organise the basis for a future policy on a Mediterranean scale. It is a topic for cooperation under Structural Funds Objectives 1 and 2 because policies for managing natural risks relate to many areas that form part of these regional programmes. Expected results / Résultats attendus • A higher degree of awareness among young people and the general public about fires (education about risk). • Transfer and improved performance of tools and methods for fire prevention and fighting.• Greater knowledge of forest fire behaviour (based on experience). • Transfer and improved performance of tools and methods for restoring damaged countryside. IMPACTS: • Fewer fires, less burnt countryside and less damage. • Better policies for land planning in the Mediterranean regions. • Control of urban spread and woodland development. • Balance among cultural landscapes. • A common Mediterranean policy on fire risks. • Preservation of biodiversity.