Climate change will increase the risk on wildfires. Not only in Southern Europe, but also in countries where wildfires were traditionally sparse, such as the Netherlands. Attention shifts from fighting and preventing fire to ‘living with fire’, in which resilient landscapes are designed and communities are better prepared for wildfires. The EU-project PyroLife will train a new generation of experts in integral fire management.
Using water management techniques for wildfires
The PyroLife project brings together knowledge from different countries, scientific disciplines and practices. Southern European leadership in fire expertise will be used to understand and predict wildfires in Northern Europe, whilst Northern European lessons learned in the prevention of floods will be applied in Southern Europe. Dr. Cathelijne Stoof is PyroLife coordinator and will lead the project. “The Dutch are world famous for the way in which they manage and live with water,” she says. “By working with experts on water management and landscape architects, we will use their knowledge to design resilient landscapes and prepare communities to live with fire.”
Training programme
PyroLife provides 15 PhD candidates. The project is the first large and integrated doctoral training programme on wildfires globally. WUR will offer four PhD positions on: the effects of wildfires and ashes on soil and water quality, designing landscapes adapted to the increasing risk on wildfires, and applying Dutch knowledge in water management (prevention and the widely-known ‘poldermodel’) to ‘living with fire’.
Large European consortium
PyroLife is funded by the prestigious Marie-Curie Action within the European Horizon2020 programme. WUR will lead a consortium of 10 leading European universities and institutes. All PhD candidates will receive training of 21 international partners, including governments, fire services, business and non-profit agencies. An overview of the full consortium is given below. The Netherlands: Wageningen University & Research
United Kingdom: University of Birmingham, Imperial College, Forestry Commission England, WildfireTacAd, ARUP
Germany: European Forest Institute
Spain: Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Tecnosylva, Pau Costa Foundation
Cyprus: European University Cyprus
Portugal: Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Águas de Portugal
France: IRSTEA (Institut National de Recherche en Sciences et Technologies pour l'Environnement et l'Agriculture)
Denmark: Fredriksborg Fire and Rescue Service
Poland: Instytut Techniki Budowlanej (Building Research Institute)
Greece: Hellenic Agricultural Organization "Demeter"
International: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation
USA: National Fire Protection Association
Canada: University of Alberta
New Zealand: New Zealand Forest Research Institute
www.wur.nl/en/Research-Results/Research-Institutes/Environmental-Research/show-wenr/4-million-euro-for-training-programme-new-experts-in-wildfires.htm
