Citation

Regos A, Pais S, Campos JC, Lecina-Diaz J. Int. J. Wildland Fire 2023; 32(6): 942-950.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, International Association of Wildland Fire, Fire Research Institute, Publisher CSIRO Publishing)

DOI

10.1071/WF22094

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Extreme wildfires are expected to increase in Southern Europe, due to climate change and rural abandonment. Fire management is focused on suppression, which accelerates the transition to more flammable landscapes. Here, we synthesise the knowledge acquired over the 'FirESmart' project (https://firesmartproject.wordpress.com). Our findings show how agroforestry policies could benefit biodiversity while providing further fire suppression opportunities. The EU Green Deal offers an opportunity to incorporate 'fire-smartness' into upcoming agroforestry policies. Still, if these policies fail at reversing rural abandonment, the use of fire could enhance rewilding and tree-planting as 'climate-smart' strategies in the fire-prone mountains of Southern Europe.

Language: en