Project to strengthen global wildfire resilience

FAO and Canada launch a USD 6 million project to support a global shift from reactive wildfire response to proactive risk reduction through integrated fire management. 

The initiative will focus particularly on strengthening countries’ capacity to manage fire in Southern Africa and South Asia, including in the Kavango-Zambezi landscape and the Hindu Kush Himalaya region, which are increasingly threatened by high-intensity wildfires.

Regional cooperation and knowledge exchange

As wildfires become more frequent and severe globally, integrated fire management is increasingly recognised as essential for balancing prevention, preparedness, suppression, ecological restoration and the sustainable use of fire across landscapes.

The approach combines scientific expertise, local knowledge and governance systems to reduce harmful fires while recognising the important ecological and cultural role fire can play in many ecosystems.

Training programmes for women

The new project supports stronger coordination between institutions, practitioners and communities working on fire management across different regions, and will increase countries’ capacities to manage fire through knowledge exchange, early warning systems and community-based approaches. It will also focus on targeted training programmes for women and women-led organizations.

Indigenous-led Fire Adaptation Network

In addition to on-the-ground training, the establishment of an International Indigenous-led Fire Adaptation Network will create opportunities for knowledge exchange among Indigenous fire practitioners globally, combining traditional knowledge systems with scientific data and modern technologies.

The project is expected to directly support Indigenous Peoples and knowledge holders through the global network, alongside practitioners and community members through training and demonstration activities across target regions.

Zimbabwe National Fire Week

Zimbabwe is one of five Southern African countries in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, which links protected areas of savannahs, wetlands and forests across borders that are facing a growing threat from wildfires.

The new project was launched during the Joint 2026 National Fire Week and Integrated Fire Management Launch in Mashonaland East, northeastern Zimbabwe, in the presence of government ministers.

Established by FAO and partners in 2023, the Global Fire Management Hub promotes collaboration across sectors and regions to strengthen wildfire governance and reduce the impacts of extreme fires on people, landscapes and climate stability.

Source: FAO News and Media, 14/05/2026

Photo: ©FAO/Simone Maina