An Overview of Wildland Fire Science in Canada and the Relation of Wildfires to Sustainable Development Goals
Saki Kondo, Volunteer Content Contributor
Can you envision a world free from wildfires? Most likely not. Around the world, wildfires have grown larger and more intense. This blog post provides an overview of wildland fire science in Canada and discusses how wildfires relate to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
What is wildfire?
A wildfire, also often referred to as wildland fire, is an unintentional and uncontrolled fire in an area with flammable vegetation such as forest, brush, tundra, grass, etc. [1]. On average from 1970 to 2017, 8000 wildfires occurred and burned 2.25 million ha across Canada every year. The major causes of all wildfires were lightning (47%) and human activity (49%) from 1990 to 2016 [2].
What is wildland fire science?
Wildland fire science is the objective, systematic, and repeatable pursuit of knowledge. It includes practical applications and technologies on topics applicable to wildland fire. The main topics of wildland fire science are physical and biophysical processes, ecology, prescribed fire, operational analytics, suppression systems, management systems, human dimensions, traditional knowledge, economics, and policy [3].
What are SDGs?
The SDGs were adopted by the United Nations (UN) in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The 17 SDGs recognize that development must balance social, economic, and environmental sustainability and that actions in one area will have an impact on results in others. [4]
Fig 2. 17 SDGs
SDGs and wildfires [5]
The growing scale of wildfires around the world can have serious impacts on SDGs. People who are relying on natural resources are hit hardest by wildfires. For many people, including indigenous people, forests provide a source of food and medicine. Intact forest resources are essential to many people's livelihoods, particularly in poorer nations, therefore a very large wildfire can be deadly (Goal 1: No Poverty, Goal 2: Zero Hunger).
No matter where you live, wildfire smoke is dangerous for your health since it contributes to air pollution. Particulate matter and hazardous gases including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and non-methane organic compounds are released into the atmosphere because of wildfires (Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being). Evacuations cause social disruptions as well as physical and mental health concerns, along with economic disturbance for evacuees, their families, and their communities (Goal 1 and Goal 3). On average, 13,500 people from 28 communities are evacuated every year because of wildland fire events in Canada. These numbers are on the rise (Fig 3).
When a wildfire's magnitude surpasses the capacity of regrowth to absorb carbon dioxide, it releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the sky and contributes to global warming. Long-distance transport of gases and particles from burning biomass can have an impact on local air quality. In addition, particles that land on snow and ice might make them absorb sunlight that they would normally reflect, hastening the warming process. Due to their significant carbon dioxide emissions compared to typical forest or brush fires, wildfires on highly flammable peatlands are particularly relevant to climate change. Climate feedback loops are these phenomena, and they enhance the need to cut emissions to stop the increase in global temperature (Goal 13: Climate Action).
Wildland fire science in Canada
To help Canada prepare for future wildfire events, the Blueprint for Wildland Fire Science in Canada (2019 – 2029), or the Blueprint, has been established. This is a strategic plan of action focused on building the capacity of wildland fire science nationally. The Blueprint provides six key research themes to investigate, and a significant area of wildland fire research is represented by each theme. [3]
Theme 1: Understanding Fire in a Changing World
The scope of this theme is for conducting fundamental physical fire science as a foundation for improved decision-making. Despite recent high-profile fire incidents, it is still unclear how fires spread and cause harm in the Wildland-Urban Interface. The relationship between national efforts to minimize GHGs and GHG emissions produced from burning forest biomass during a fire is another factor to take into consideration as these emissions can contribute to climate change. Although controlling fire and vegetation can help cut emissions, more research is needed in this area. To fulfill present and future demands, the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System needs to be updated to serve as the basis for describing the current and predicted fire environment.
Theme 2: Recognizing Indigenous Knowledge
The scope of this theme is to recognize Indigenous knowledge and collaborate with Indigenous peoples for better wildland fire management. Indigenous peoples have lived with and used wildfires for thousands of years. For many Indigenous cultures, intentional burning is used for a variety of outcomes, including modifying the landscape, managing the vegetation, reducing risks to communities, improving aesthetics, maintaining trails, reducing forest pests, and extending the growing season. Indigenous knowledge and Western science are independent but complementary tools of discovery. Research activities related to creating Indigenous knowledge must be generated by communal decision-making within Indigenous communities. Priority research topics under this theme are valuing Indigenous expertise, building collaborative mechanisms for Western science and Indigenous knowledge, and enhancing Indigenous fire knowledge.
Theme 3: Building Resilient Communities and Infrastructure
The scope of this theme is to protect forest-based communities and infrastructure from wildland fire events. Building resilient communities and infrastructure requires anticipating wildfires to influence how, where, what, and why structures are built. More research is needed to help protect communities and infrastructure, as well as to develop building practices, planning directives, and other techniques that will reduce the risks and costs associated with wildland fire. Canada’s FireSmart program provides guidance and best practices that homeowners, communities, industry, and other forest-based stakeholders can voluntarily implement to reduce risks from wildland fires. Research is also required to evaluate current construction, civil engineering, community design, and public safety standards to determine whether any changes to codes, policies, or regulations are warranted.
Theme 4: Managing Ecosystems
The scope of this theme is to understand the effects of fire, both desirable and undesirable, on forest ecosystems. Research is needed to investigate three main aspects related to ecosystem management. First, more must be learned about the immediate, short-term, and long-term effects of fire on ecosystems and related ecological processes. Second, it is required to analyze specifically fire regimes and how they interact with other forest disturbances, such as climate change, insect outbreaks, and disease. Finally, it is important to examine how fires might be deliberately employed to maximize ecological benefits and reduce societal hazards.
Theme 5: Delivering Innovative Fire Management Solutions
The scope of this theme is to transform fire management through research and innovation. Science and technology are the building blocks for innovative fire management and decision-making. Bridging the gap from foundational science (Theme 1) to operational fire management is crucial in addressing progressively more dangerous and changing fire regimes. Innovative science and technologies (remote sensing, earth observation tools, etc.) will allow for earlier and more accurate detection of fires and hot spots. New science and technologies will also improve the effectiveness of firefighting equipment and guide to improve the health and safety of firefighters and other first responders. Permanent mechanisms are needed to facilitate the sharing of information, making sure that science gets into the hands of fire managers and practitioners, while also communicating the priorities and needs of end users back to researchers. Effective planning that optimizes scarce resources and enables the most efficient deployment of firefighting assets is equally important. Finally, organizations must also have the capacity to manage the increases in the quantity and complexity of data that are anticipated with advancements in risk assessment and forecasting systems.
Theme 6: Reducing the Effects of Wildland Fire on Canadians
The scope of this theme is to address the long-term physical, mental, social, and economic well-being of people living with wildland fire. Surprisingly, little is known about the socioeconomic costs of a natural disaster such as wildfires over both the short and the long term. There is a need for more socioeconomic research to better understand the true costs of wildland fires. Without an understanding of wildfire economics, a business case for fire management cannot be made. More social science is required to assess the effects wildland fire can have on Indigenous communities and people, the preparedness of Indigenous communities across Canada, the characteristics of successful postfire recovery, and criminality associated with deliberate ignition of wildfires. Public engagement is a critical element in creating wildfire resilience because prevention activities at the level of homeowners and communities yield the greatest returns. Work is also needed to help affected people understand fire management and the types of action required to battle wildfires and rebuild with greater resilience. This has become known in international emergency management circles as Build Back Better.
Summary
In addition to endangering people's access to clean air, safe housing, and natural resources, wildfires can have a significant negative impact on SDGs. Despite all the past wildfire events, not enough has been done to prepare for future wildfire incidents. The Blueprint for Wildland Fire Science in Canada can be a useful strategic plan of action for organizing the required research activities to comprehend and overcome the difficulties in developing better systems to manage wildfires as well as affected communities and individuals.
References
2. Wildfire management in Canada: Review, challenges and opportunities.
3. Blueprint for wildland fire science in Canada (2019-2029) | Natural Resources Canada
4. Sustainable Development Goals | United Nations Development Programme
5. The effect of wildfires on sustainable development.
About the Author
Saki Kondo is a volunteer blog writer with RCEN. She is passionate about learning, especially about environmental issues. She has M.Eng. in Chemistry from Toyo University in Japan and M.Sc. in Environmental Science from University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George, BC. She is certified as an Environmental Professional in training (EPt) with ECO Canada.
