OSCE HELPS TO FIGHT WILDFIRES IN ARMENIA
hetq
16:10, September 14, 2011
Assessing the risk of wildfires and developing and implementing
national fire management policies was the focus of an OSCE-supported
roundtable meeting in Yerevan today.
The event, organized by the OSCE Office in Yerevan, the United
Nations Development Programme and the Armenian Ministry of Emergency
Situations, brings together some 100 representatives from all state
institutions involved in fire management, local self-government bodies,
civil society and the international community.
“Strengthening the national capacity to fight fires will help make
our region safer,” said William Hanlon, the Economic and Environmental
Officer at the OSCE Office inYerevan.
Participants discussed issues affecting forest and wildland fires
inArmenia, achievements in forest and fire protection, development
of emergency response capabilities and legislation, and regional and
international co-operation.
Sergey Azaryan, the Director of the Armenian Rescue Service of
Armenia’s Emergency Situations Ministry added: “Vast forest fires
can destroy thousands hectares of forests, orchards and grasslands
and the failure to organize a comprehensive and consistent fight may
result in ecological disaster. That is why the topic of the discussion
is urgent and of strategic importance toArmenia.”
The discussion follows a two-day training course and practical exercise
held in Syunik, a southern province of Armenia, where around 50 local
fire brigade representatives learned about international best practices
and modern techniques for forest fire management. The training course
was conducted by Johann Georg Goldammer, the Director of the Global
Fire Monitoring Centre, and two representatives of the Regional Forest
Fire Network from theformer Yugoslav Republic of MacedoniaandTurkey.
“Climate change in the region will increase the threat of forest fires
in the South Caucasus: extended droughts will heighten the risk of
high-intensity fires resulting in environmental and economic damage,
and lead to secondary disasters, such as landslides, erosion and loss
of soil fertility,” said Goldammer, who has analyzed forest fires in
Armenia and neighbouring countries in recent years.
He added that lack of adequate supervision of fires for agricultural
purposes was the main cause of forest fires and this could be reduced
if the authorities worked with farmers to avoid unnecessary burning.
This event is part of a regional project for theSouth Caucasuswhich
is supported by the Environment and Security (ENVSEC) initiative,
which is a partnership of six organizations – the OSCE, UNDP, UNEP,
UNECE, REC and NATO as an associate partner. A similar training course
was organized under this project inGeorgialast year.
From: Baghdasarian