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The near East Network in the Wildlands Forest Fire completes a workshop for integrated fire management for the restoration practices in Morocco

The organization of the United Nations Food and Agriculture (FAO) in cooperation with the nearby East Network at Wildlands Forest Fire (Nenfire), the FAO Committee for Mediterranean Forestry Questions – Silva Mediterranea (Silva Med) and the National Agency of Water and Water Forestry of Morocco successfully organized a workshop on integrated fire management: good practices and exchange of knowledge for the regions of the Mediterranean. The event was in Rabat, Morocco, North Africa and Mediterranean regions from February 12 to 15, 2025.

Shortage

Since climate change reinforces extreme weather conditions, forest fires have become an escalating threat to forests, pastures and rural livelihoods in the Middle East and North Africa (Nena). This workshop served as a crucial step to promote cooperation, promotion of best practice and the development of stronger strategies for fire resilience.

In the opening ceremony, addresses of FAO representatives, Moroccan officials and important stakeholders were presented, whereby everyone emphasized the urgent need for integrated fire management and restoration after the fire. Speakers underlined the essential role of forests in the Nena region, although they only covered 5.4 percent of the land area to maintain nutritional safety, water protection and climate silence. Morocco, which was recognized as a regional leader in sustainable forestry and forest fire management, showed his commitment to strengthening regional cooperation in combating forest fires.

In their opening speeches, Fidaa Haddad, Senior Program Officer and Regional Priority 3 -lead in FAO, emphasized the importance of collective actions for the mitigating forest fire risks. She explained: “The forest fire crisis is not a future threat – it is now happening and accelerates. In addition to all partners, to transform fire management into a proactive strategy and to protect our forests and communities for a more sustainable future.”

Advancement of integrated fire management: a five -year regional roadmap

A central focus of the workshop was on the confirmation of the five-year roadmap of Nenfire (2024–2029), a comprehensive regional plan to improve fire prevention, prevention and reaction mechanisms. The participants checked and refined this roadmap to ensure the focus on regional priorities and emerging challenges.

Morocco, when a country invests heavily in forest fire management, presented a scalable model for best practice for integrated fire management. The participants visited the national center for the management of forest climate risks at the National Agency for Water and Forests, where experts presented the fire protection strategies of the Morocco, Early Cernation Systems and Coordination Mechanisms of the Emergency Reaction. The visit ensured practical exposure to advanced surveillance technologies, cooperation cooperations and restoration efforts after the fire.

Strengthening capacity through training after the restoration after the fire and global fire management efforts

As part of the workshop, the participants traveled to Tanger in Northern Morocco, where they visited two forest fires affected by forest fires. The first was Perdicaris Park (Rmilate Forest), who covered 65 hectares of botanical gardens who suffered fire damage in 2017; And the second forest of the cappartel, which survived a forest fire from 2023, which affects 40 hectares of peater -dominated forest cover.

Representatives from 14 countries made a meeting of the exchange of knowledge with presentations from Morocco, Spain, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Portugal and Tunisia for fire management and restoring ecosystems. The participants were introduced to the FEM tool (FAO tool for restoring the Waldökosystem restoration), a digital platform that supports the United Nations decade for the restoration of ecosystems (2021–2030). The FAO continues to support forest fire reduction by the Global Fire Management Hub (Fire Hub), which helps the countries to improve the capacity for integrated fire management. As an essential result of the workshop, the practical training enabled the participants to document and replace best practice for the restoration after the fire in order to be documented in the UN decade about the restoration of ecosystems. The workshop also established mechanisms for ongoing regional cooperation that enable knowledge exchange, political orientation and coordinated reactions to forest fire risks.

“The creation of opportunities for the exchange of knowledge is the focus of the mission of our commission. Regional cooperation, programs for capacity structure and integrated fire management strategies are the key to coping with forest fire risks in the Middle East and North Africa. We have to invest in early warning systems, commitment in the municipality and in the restoration efforts to improve the resistance to forest fires, ”emphasized Mohamed Al Hiari, Secretary General of the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture and Chair, near the Eastern Commission for Forestry and Weideland.

Through partnerships such as Silva Med, the workshop promoted cross -border learning, the layout and the collective action for forest fire management in the NENA and Mediterranean regions. When João Pinho, Head of Rural Fire Management, Portugal Instituto Da Conservação Da Natureza e emphasized the Florestas & Silva Mediterranea network: “This workshop provided valuable insights into the fire management tools and methods that were used in the Mediterranean. Stronger regional cooperation is of essential importance to combat climate -friendly fire risks and the guarantee of effective fire management strategies. “

By improving regional cooperation, promoting innovations and promoting sustainable practices, the countries can mitigate the effects of forest fires, restore ecosystems and build up long -term climate effectiveness.

Drive sustainable solutions for the future

While FAO takes off its 80th anniversary, this workshop reflects the unshakable commitment to promoting sustainable forestry, the promotion of integrative climate economy and the implementation of best practice for a greener future. The FAO is still the realization of its vision of the four Betters and production, a better diet, a better environment and a better life-through concrete, common-oriented actions worldwide.