26 August 2021
26.08.2021 - The aim of this project is to strengthen the capacities of government officials in preventing and mitigating forest fires and other natural disasters through the establishment of NFFIS and Eco-DRR.
In order to contribute to the prevention and mitigation of forest fires and other common natural disasters in the region, the forest fire information system and Eco-DRR supported by JICA will contribute to improving the capacity of government officials through cooperation in the Western Balkans, aiming to support socioeconomic reforms in the Western Balkan countries toward EU accession, as well as to facilitate regional cooperation.
What is NFFIS?
NFFIS (National Forest Fire Information System) is an integrated Web-GIS system for fire prevention and early warning that allows information exchange with relevant agencies. By combining satellite and weather information with topographic maps, it is possible to monitor where fires are likely to occur, how easily fires spread, and how dry the area is. This information can be used for early warning. What is Eco-DRR?
Ecosystems have multiple functions; for example, forests have a number of functions beyond timber production, such as soil and watershed retention, recreation, and biodiversity. "Eco-DRR (Ecosystem-based Disaster Risk Reduction)" is the sustainable management, conservation, and restoration of ecosystems to reduce disaster risk, with the aim of achieving sustainable and regenerative development. The project will identify slopes affected by landslides through GIS analysis based on land use conditions and past afforestation and will implement planting and landslide prevention monitoring in the trial sites. Eco-DRR will be widely disseminated through incorporation into land use regulations and spatial planning.
The targeted project area for intervention in Kosovo is Restelica and Istog. The project implementation period is March 2021 - February 2026, while the project partners in Kosovo are: the Emergency Management Agency (MPB), the Kosovo Forestry Agency (MBPZHR), and AMMK/ Kosovo Hydrometeorological Institute (MMPHI).
For more about the project:
Bulletin no. 1 of NFFIS and ECO-DRR for the Western Balkans (Albanian version)
Bulletin no. 1 of NFFIS and ECO-DRR for the Western Balkans (English version)