Filenews 10 April 2024
Forest fires are one of the most serious natural disasters of essential safety, said the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Maria Panayiotou, noting at the same time that as of this month, the Department of Forests has fully activated its forces, starting the alert period for fires one month earlier than the established schedule, ie from April 1 instead of May 1.
Addressing a workshop on "Integrated Fire Management", delivered by the Director of her office, Theodoulos M. Makrigiannis, Ms. Panayiotou said that according to the "National Risk Assessment of the Republic of Cyprus for 2018", forest fires present the highest level of risk, compared to other phenomena, such as earthquakes, coastal erosion or floods.
"This practically means readiness of ground forces and increased ability to respond to fires in light of changes in climate data brought about by climate change," he said.
The Minister of Agriculture said that the current theme of the workshop "Integrated Fire Management", developed in the framework of the "SEMEDFIRE" project, in the presence of distinguished scientists, professionals and experts from Cyprus and abroad, highlights the need to study and take effective measures to address the difficult and complex problem of forest fires.
«By protecting our forests from fires, we preserve intact not only an important economic capital, but also the cultural elements, the creations of nature and man, that have evolved over the centuries. We preserve our very existence on a planet that is constantly changing and facing ever-increasing threats. Forest fires are one of the most serious natural disasters of essential safety. According to the "National Risk Assessment of the Republic of Cyprus for 2018", forest fires present the highest level of risk, compared to other phenomena, such as earthquakes, coastal erosion or floods," he added.
As Mrs Panayiotou said, the increasing frequency and extent of fires, which is exacerbated mainly by the effects of climate change and rural abandonment, indicates that we should not be complacent.
"Climate change, which is occurring all over the planet, is also having a strong impact on our country, making fires more frequent and widespread than ever. Drought, high temperatures and strong winds are intensifying this trend, which should be addressed with feasible and effective practices. Practices, based on scientific knowledge and the development of research and technology, which should reach the forest practice and be implemented," he added.
As a Government, the Minister of Agriculture continued, "we are focusing on a coordinated and integrated approach, promoting the creation of an effective roadmap for fire prevention and protection."
"In this context, I am in close communication and coordination with all my fellow Ministers, their departments and services, with a view to taking additional measures where needed," he noted.
He also said that as the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, the promotion of research, information and the development of open dialogue on issues related to forests and the natural environment are their basic tools.
"As of this month, the Department of Forests of our Ministry has put its forces in full activation, starting the fire alert period a month earlier than the established schedule, i.e. from April 1 instead of May 1," he said.
This, he noted, "practically means readiness of ground forces and increased ability to respond to fires, in light of the changes in climatic data that climate change has brought."
"With prevention, preparedness and suppression as our triptych, we aim to strengthen the integrated forest fire management system," he added.
As he said, at this stage the Department of Forests is planning for the integration of new technologies, which will assist in the further surveillance of forest areas and the detection of fires, but also in the transfer of real live image to the Operations Centers.
"At the same time, we are proceeding with the implementation of the vegetation management study with the aim of enhancing the fire protection of forests and woodland communities. It is worth mentioning that the Department of Forests, both in terms of training in preventive preparation management and equipment, is today in greater readiness than ever, compared to previous years, and this in order to be able to respond to the increased challenges that are imminent", he noted.
Referring specifically to armaments, Ms. Panayiotou said that thanks to the efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture, which have borne fruit, the Department of Forests has already received five fire trucks, while the delivery of five more is imminent this year, as well as the gradual receipt of another 32 by 2026.
"The delivery of 75 personnel carriers has also been completed. Eight tracked dozers, four excavators, nine agricultural tractors and six branch shredders have also enriched the Department's operational fleet. In addition, the installation of a fire extinguishing material supply system to the flying means of the Department of Forests at Pafos Airport has been completed. The process for the procurement of three firefighting aircraft, six tankers and four dozer transport platforms by 2026 is also underway," he added.
At the same time, he said that part of the equipment he has mentioned is part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, intervention "Protection of forests from fires", which provides for the reinforcement of the Department of Forests in machinery and firefighting equipment, totalling €25.7 million, while the rest are from national resources.
"In addition to the above, at a recent wide-ranging meeting under the President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides on dealing with fires and natural phenomena, measures were decided to prevent and deal with fires, as well as operational readiness for civil protection," he said.
"The upgrading of the Civil Defence to a Civil Protection Service, the integration of a unit of flying forest firefighting means into the National Guard, the reopening of the Forest College, the submission of amending bills concerning the tightening of penalties, the submission of a proposal for the utilization, training and insurance of volunteers, as well as the gradual acquisition by the state of ten firefighting means in the coming years, are being promoted."
