16 February 2022
The purpose 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 natural disasters common in the region, the forest fire information system and Eco-DRR supported by JICA will contribute to improve the capacity of government officials through cooperation in the Western Balkans, with the aim of supporting socio-economic reforms in Western Balkan countries towards EU accession, as well as facilitating cooperation in the region.
In Bulletin no. 2 of the project: Building capacities for Disaster Risk Reduction through the National Forest Fire Information System (NFFIS) and Eco-DRR, among others you will find information on the Regional Seminar held within the project, Regional Cooperation (Kosovo-Montenegro-North Macedonia), Eco-DRR Method for avalanche prevention, etc.
What is NFFIS?
NFFIS (National Forest Fire Information System) is an integrated Web-GIS system for fire prevention and early warning that allows information sharing 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?
"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 renewable development.
The project will identify avalanche-prone slopes through GIS analysis based on land use conditions and past afforestation and implement avalanche prevention planting and monitoring at test sites. The target area of the project for intervention in Kosovo is Restelica and Istog.
The implementation period of the project is March 2021- February 2026, while the project partners in Kosovo are: Emergency Management Agency (MEA), Kosovo Forestry Agency (MBPZHR) and, AMMK/ Kosovo Hydro-Meteorological Institute (MMPHI).