SIMMER
Strategic integration of operational and legal frameworks for increased resilience and improved forest fire management in the Mediterranean
The SIMMER project (Strategic Integration of operational and legal frameworks for enhanced resilience and Management of Mediterranean wildfires) aims to bridge the gap between science, public policy, and operational practices in order to better prevent and manage forest fires in Mediterranean regions.
It is part of the Interreg NEXT MED program.
ACTUALITÉS
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CONTEXT
Forest fires in the Mediterranean basin are exacerbated by:
- Rising temperatures, periods of drought, and an increase in extreme weather events.
- Approaches that are still largely reactive, focused on extinguishing fires rather than preventing them.
- A gap between scientific knowledge and its operational implementation in public policy.
SIMMER addresses these challenges by integrating science, law, and operational considerations into a common and transferable approach.
OBJECTIVES
- Develop an integrated science-policy-operational framework for sustainable fire management.
- Strengthen the capacities of local authorities and emergency services through appropriate scientific and technological tools.
- Test innovative forest fire management solutions (prevention, response, restoration) in six Mediterranean countries.
- Promote ecosystem-based methods such as controlled burning, controlled grazing, and landscape restoration.
- Create a collaboration platform and resource center (Knowledge Hub) for sharing knowledge and best practices.
PARTNERSHIP
The project brings together six institutions from six Mediterranean countries.
Role of AIFM:
- Leader in technology and operational assessment, and in the creation of the Knowledge Hub
- Active partner in capacity mapping, digital tool development, and dissemination of results
CERIDES – European University Cyprus (EUC), Cyprus
National Observatory of Athens (NOA), Greece
Lebanon Reforestation Initiative (LRI), Lebanon
Association Internationale des Forêts Méditerranéennes, France
WADI for Sustainable Ecosystems Services (WADI), Jordan
Palestine Polytechnic University, Palestine
Action plan
- Inventory of capacities and needs
- Mapping of stakeholders, collection of needs, inventory of existing scientific tools and legal frameworks.
- Gap analysis and assessment of operational maturity
- Assessment of current practices, identification of obstacles, techno-economic feasibility study.
- Development of an integrated management framework
- Digital tools for forest fires
- Nature-based solutions
- Legal and operational frameworks for response agencies
- Pilot actions: implementation, validation, evaluation
- Design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of pilot interventions in five countries (e.g., controlled burning, post-fire restoration, etc.).
- Capacity building and consolidation of the integrated framework
- Creation of a Knowledge Hub, organization of training workshops, networking of stakeholders.
- Consolidation of the integrated framework and development of a legal roadmap for its implementation.
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