OSCE project on wildfire management in Chernobyl-affected areas convenes stakeholders from Belarus and Ukraine in Kyiv

A new project on managing wildfires in Chernobyl-affected areas, implemented by the OSCE in close co-operation with the Global Fire Monitoring Centre based in Freiburg, Germany, was launched on 7 September 2017 at an inaugural meeting in Kyiv.

Wildfires are likely to become more frequent and intense as a result of the changing climate. The project, entitled “Improving Radiological and Environmental Awareness in Territories Affected by the Chernobyl Accident in Belarus and Ukraine with a Focus on Wildfire Management”, aims to reduce the risks that wildfires in Chernobyl-affected areas in Belarus and Ukraine pose for communities, firefighters and the environment.

Recommendations for setting up a system for regular exchange of transboundary information on wildfire management in and around the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and for a joint response system for forest fires are among the expected outcomes of the project. The experts participating in the project will also produce guidelines for firefighters on the suppression of forest fires in the Chernobyl-affected areas, which will include educational activities for working with local communities.

The inaugural meeting brought together stakeholders from Belarus and Ukraine, including authorities responsible for emergency, forest and fire management and management of the territories affected by the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant accident. Local authorities, representatives of the Regional Eastern European Fire Monitoring Centre and the Global Fire Monitoring Center also took part in the meeting. They discussed priorities for the project’s implementation and next steps.

This project is one of the set of projects the OSCE is conducting in co-operation with Belarus. It is funded by Austria, Germany and Liechtenstein.