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Guidelines on Fire Management in Temperate and Boreal Forests

Year of publication 2002

Author Forest management Division

Product type Book (stand-alone)

Series title Fire Management Working Paper

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) These fire management guidelines are designed to provide a base for policy makers and managers at various levels to develop programs and projects in which the specific national, socio-economic, and natural problems related to fire in temperate and boreal natural and planted forests will be addressed. The scope of the guidelines is to assist countries in developing programs for reducing damage caused by fire; and to help forest managers and rural residents to safely use and take advantage of the beneficial effects of fire in land-use systems. The guidelines are in accordance with the FAO policy and take into account the recommendations of the FAO Meeting on Public Policies Affecting Forest Fires (FAO 1999) and the FAO/ITTO International Expert Meeting on Forest Fire Management (FAO 2001a) and Legal Frameworks for Forest Fire Management: International Agreements and National Legislation (FAO 2002a). The guidelines also address the objectives of the United Nations International Strategy f or Disaster Reduction (ISDR) that has been established by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN 1999), particularly the ISDR Interagency Task Force on Natural Disaster Reduction, Working Group on Wildland Fire. The Working Group on Wildland Fire supports the UN and other international stakeholders by providing an inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary global platform for policy support. The guidelines recognize that many forest fires origina te in agricultural and pastoral systems; and in degraded vegetation, outside of forest areas. Therefore, fire management on former and degraded forest lands may help to re-establish productive forests and to safeguard the success of reforestation programs.

Language English

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