Enviro News Asia, Harare — The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Government of Canada have launched a new USD 6 million global initiative aimed at strengthening wildfire prevention, preparedness, and resilience, as climate-driven fires continue to intensify across many parts of the world.
The project was officially launched during a high-level event held in Harare this week and will be implemented under the Global Fire Management Hub. The initiative promotes a shift from reactive wildfire response toward proactive risk reduction through integrated fire management.
The program will focus on strengthening fire management capacity in Southern Africa and South Asia, particularly in the Kavango-Zambezi landscape and the Hindu Kush Himalaya region, both of which face increasing threats from high-intensity wildfires.
According to FAO Assistant Director-General and Director of the Forestry Division, Zhimin Wu, the initiative is designed to improve ecosystem health while supporting global climate and biodiversity goals.
Integrated fire management combines scientific expertise, traditional knowledge, and governance systems to reduce destructive fires while recognizing the ecological and cultural role that fire can play in certain ecosystems. The approach includes wildfire prevention, preparedness, suppression, ecological restoration, and sustainable fire use across landscapes.
The project will also strengthen cooperation among institutions, practitioners, and local communities involved in fire management. Activities include knowledge exchange programs, early warning systems, and community-based fire management approaches. Special training programs will also be developed for women and women-led organizations.
As part of the initiative, an International Indigenous-led Fire Adaptation Network will be established to encourage global knowledge-sharing among Indigenous fire practitioners. The network aims to combine traditional fire management practices with scientific data and modern technology.
The project is expected to directly support Indigenous communities, local practitioners, and community members through field training and demonstration activities across target regions.
The launch coincided with Zimbabwe’s 2026 National Fire Week in Mashonaland East Province, northeastern Zimbabwe. The country is one of five Southern African nations within the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, a cross-border ecosystem of savannahs, wetlands, and forests increasingly threatened by severe wildfires.
Established in 2023, the Global Fire Management Hub serves as an international platform to improve wildfire governance, reduce the impacts of extreme fires, and strengthen climate resilience through cross-sector and regional cooperation. (*)
