SIMMER Info Days 2026 - Wildfire resilience is built before the fire
PRESS RELEASE | Limassol, 21 September 2026
Two days of scientific and operational dialogue in Limassol highlighted the need to connect prevention, the safety of people on the front line and the integrated management of wildfires.
On 17 and 18 September, the European project SIMMER held two different but closely connected days of activities in Limassol.
The first day, within the international Working on Safety – WOS 2026 conference, focused on Occupational Safety and Health and particularly on protecting those operating on the front line of a wildfire. Through a scientific presentation, poster and dedicated workshop, it highlighted that safety does not begin at the fire front, but is built earlier through prevention, training, clear roles, coordination, operational knowledge and the appropriate use of technology.
The second day was entirely dedicated to SIMMER. Under the auspices of the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Mr Christos Senekis, the Info Day brought together public authorities, operational services, scientists and representatives of Mediterranean countries. A greeting on the Minister’s behalf was conveyed by Kostas Papageorgiou, Senior Conservator of Forests, stressing that “the challenges associated with wildfires and the climate crisis transcend national borders and require coordinated action and shared solutions”. Three thematic discussions covered prevention, operational preparedness and suppression, technology, as well as post-fire restoration and ecosystem resilience, approaching wildfire management as a continuous cycle rather than an intervention that begins when a fire breaks out.
Particular emphasis was placed on land and rural abandonment, which leads to the accumulation of combustible vegetation and the loss of the traditional Mediterranean landscape mosaic. Supporting those who cultivate, graze and manage the land is an essential part of prevention: as rural areas are abandoned and landscapes become more homogeneous, conditions that can favour large wildfires are created. The discussion also addressed the need to manage illegal dumping sites and the multiplying effect of climate change and prolonged periods of drought.
As Professor Georgios Boustras, SIMMER Coordinator, stated: “Wildfire management brings together three fundamental pillars: field knowledge, academic research and technology. None can stand alone. Their integration concerns the entire management cycle, from prevention and preparedness to response and restoration.”
The two-day programme concluded with the 7th SIMMER Stakeholder Workshop, carrying the conclusions of the discussions into the project’s next stage
ABOUT SIMMER
SIMMER (Strategic Integration of Operational and Legal Frameworks for Enhanced Resilience and Management of Mediterranean Wildfires) approaches wildfire management as one continuous cycle, from prevention and preparedness to operational response and post-fire restoration. It is a three-year project of the Interreg NEXT MED Programme, coordinated by CERIDES at European University Cyprus, bringing together six partners from six Mediterranean countries: CERIDES (Cyprus); National Observatory of Athens, NOA (Greece); Lebanon Reforestation Initiative, LRI (Lebanon); WADI for Sustainable Ecosystems Development (Jordan); Association Internationale des Forêts Méditerranéennes, AIFM (France); and Palestine Polytechnic University, PPU (Palestine). Total eligible budget 2,673,916 euro, with a European Union contribution of 2,379,785.24 euro, corresponding to 89% of total eligible costs.
Media contact: Klelia Vasiliou Yiangou, Communication Manager, SIMMER · CERIDES, European University Cyprus · T +357 22559518 · M +357 97799162 · k.vasiliou@research.euc.ac.cy · www.interregnextmed.eu/project-page/simmer
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