Abstract: |
Considering the transboundary and global issues related to wildland fire there is a need to develop informal partnerships and formal, internationally binding agreements to address wildland fire problems. These must be in compliance with international laws and conventions. The mechanisms developed by the United Nations are essential and must be involved, and their efficiency must be improved. These include the UN agencies and conventions with their specific mandates (e.g, FAO, WHO, WMO, UNEP, UNDP etc., UN Conventions on Biodiversity (UNCBD) and Combat of Desertification (UNCCD), the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Given the large number of sectoral responsibilities within the UN system the need has been recognized to pragmatically facilitate a common policy dialogue by setting up a Working Group on Wildland Fire within the Inter-Agency Task Force for Disaster Reduction of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN-ISDR) in 2001. The establishment of the Global Wildland Fire Network was one of the priority fields addressed by the UN-ISDR Working Group on Wildland Fire, aimed at enhancing existing capabilities in fire monitoring, early warning and impact assessment, and facilitation of international cooperation in fire management. The Global Wildland Fire Network was endorsed by the International Wildland Fire Summit, held in Sydney, Australia, 8 October 2003. |
