Chat Colloquium in Corsica- Olmi-Capella (Corsica) is the place chosen to address the current challenge of forest fires. During the next days, June 5 and 6, the current situation of the French island of Corsica, which we are facing in terms of forest fires, and of the Mediterranean area, in general, will be analyzed. In addition, a series of initiatives will be proposed to be able to implement in these zones, where there are houses in potentially incendiary areas. Among them, we highlight those proposed by the Pau Costa Foundation, which will be responsible for presenting the pilot project Ramats de Foc and Open 2 Preserve.

The conference is organized jointly by the City Council of Olmi-Capella, the Cultural Association U Sbirru, and the Pau Costa Foundation. Mainly, this talk is addressed to the public, in general.

In the last 30 years, the Mediterranean area has had a high recurrence in relation to forest fires, due to changes in the use of the land.And because of the increase in forest areas caused by the abandonment of rural areas, such as the country’s agricultural activities or the exploitation of forest resources.

This is added, that a certain sector of the population have been settling in rural areas, in isolated dwellings in the mountains, without being aware of the danger to be living in the bush. As the years go by, the risk of high magnitude fires is increasing, and as a consequence, catastrophes are becoming increasingly serious for the population, as we have recently seen in Greece or Portugal

Climate change

To this situation, we must add the effects of climate change: the increase in temperatures and the decrease in annual rainfall, which will aggravate forest fires in the coming years.
During the last decade, several research centers, fire departments, training centers and society, in general, have exchanged knowledge and experiences about forest fires.

This is why the conference will address these challenges and concerns, while proposing different solutions. The conference will have the following objectives:

Goals

• Present the current context of forest fires in Corsica;
• Capitalize on the knowledge and experiences of local residents and users of Olmi Capella;
• Value the local economy based on fire prevention and share experiences;
• Promote the historical use of fires and relate them to the current situation of forest fires;
• Present the experiences of prevention and its effectiveness in the treatment of forest fires in Corsica and in other parts of the Mediterranean area.