The importance of economics in fire management analysis

Abstract

Wildfires are a societal problem that threatens many ecosystems, affects millions of people worldwide, and causes major ecosystem and economic impacts at local regional, national and global scales. In Europe, and especially in the Mediterranean countries (France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain), wildfires continue to be a major environmental threat (Requardt et al. 2007) where, an average 500 000 ha of forests are burned annually (San-Miguel and Camia 2009). Wildfires affect the forests and other wooded land, and neighbouring systems such as urban areas, infrastructure networks (i.e. power-lines and transportation corridors), agriculture lands, and the civil society. These impacts can be reflected in many ways – for example, loss of human life or health, decreased well-being of the population (local and wider), and temporary or permanent loss of employment possibilities and economic activities. For a worldwide perspective on the effects of fire on the earth systems see Bowman et al. 2009.

Citation

Mavsar, Robert; González-Cabán, Armando; Farrera, Verónica. 2010. The importance of economics in fire management analysis. In: Sande Silva, Joaquim; Rego, Francisco; Fernandez, Paulo; Rigolot, Eric, editors. 2010. Towards Integrated Fire Management – Outcomes of the European Project Fire Paradox. Joensuu, Finland: European Forest Institute. pp. 93-104