Community-based forest fire management

Incidents of massive forest fires almost simultaneously in different parts of Assam have put the state’s disaster response system to the test. The situation has set off the alarm bell for enhancing mitigation capabilities to prevent catastrophic forest fires in the state. Rising temperature on account of climate change impact and prolonged dry spells increases forest fire risk and vulnerability. Real-time risk assessment is crucial for improving disaster response. As forest fire hotspots are spread across the state, with some of these in far and remote areas, mobilising logistics before the fire spreads and engulfs a larger area is easier said than done. Application of satellite technology has significantly improved dissemination of forest fire alerts to disaster management authorities to act without losing much time. Dashboards showing updated information on inventory readiness for firefighting in all firefighting stations located nearest to known forest hotspots and vulnerable locations can help state and national disaster management authorities to identify critical gaps and initiate measures to bridge those. Mobilising firefighting equipment, materials and trained personnel to deal with fire emergencies in human settlements and forest areas requires different strategies. However, the expansion of human settlements closer to forest areas has increased the vulnerability of forest fires engulfing adjacent dwelling houses, public buildings, etc. in the state. Containing and dousing forest fires, therefore, needs to be much quicker to prevent loss of life and properties. While prevention and detection remain the top priorities, the readiness for emergency response to an outbreak of forest fire needs focused attention on planning, building capacity and adding to the inventory of firefighting equipment. The National Action Plan on Forest Fire launched in 2018 lays emphasis on informing, empowering and enabling the forest fringe communities to work with the state forest department to enhance forest fire management capabilities. The availability of water sources nearer to forest fire spots is a strategic advantage for aerial firefighting, such as the Bambi bucket used by Indian Air Force helicopters for collecting water from a natural or manmade water reservoir and pouring it over forest fires. Deployment of IAF Bambi buckets helped douse blazing forest fires in Dzukou Valley along Manipur-Nagaland and during forest fires in Mizoram. Community-Based Disaster Preparedness (CBDP) is the hallmark of new-age disaster risk management. The Assam Disaster Management Plan 2022, prepared and released by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, lists different components of CBDP, which include the formation of ward and village-level disaster management committees, documenting past disasters with the help of the elderly population and analysing those with the help of domain experts, communities developing a seasonality calendar of disasters based on past disaster events and mapping of risk and vulnerabilities by the communities themselves. Application of the CBDP approach in forest fire management will be effective only when it is backed by a modern firefighting support system. Loss of forest cover due to indiscriminate tree felling for infrastructure projects and also due to encroachment and illegal settlement of people in forest areas, as well as the felling of trees by timber smugglers, have precipitated the problem of rapid loss of moisture and increased forest fire risk during the fire season. Eviction of encroachment from forest areas does not immediately lead to restoration. Therefore, preventing forest encroachment also needs to be prioritised as part of CBDP by mobilising the community to remain vigilant and report any such illegal activity to forest authorities. Erratic rainfall and long dry spells have compounded the problem of soil moisture reduction and increasing the forest fire risk. Incentivising forest fringe dwellers to raise agroforestry is a pragmatic approach to increase soil moisture in deforested zones. Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMC) can play a crucial role in forest fire management and restoration of lost forest cover. The onus is on the Forest Department to take the initiative in forming and incentivising JFMCs to take a proactive role in forest fire risk mitigation and post-disaster eco-restoration by recognising their role as equal stakeholders. Participation of JFMC members in Forest Department-led initiatives for forest fire risk mitigation should not be limited to ritualistic and event-based participation. Involvement of JFMCs in the planning process through a consultative approach will facilitate a broader role of communities as protectors of forests. The usual approach of the Forest Department of enforcing a restrictive regime for forest fringe communities is a barrier to proactive participation in forest conservation. Developing JFMCs as strong community institutions through awareness, sharing of traditional knowledge of communities for forest and nature conservation, and knowledge and expertise of the department for scientific measures to address conservation issues will go a long way in addressing challenges of forest cover loss apart from reducing vulnerability, risk mitigation and better response to outbreaks of forest fires. Areas under Assam’s boundaries with neighbouring states having large stretches of forest, interstate coordination is also essential to improve forest fire management in the state and the region.