Examples of community participation in fire management are provided from Indonesia (Goldammer and Abberger 2001) and Côte d'Ivoire (Oura 1999).
Indonesia:
Community Based Forest Fire Management (CBFFM) implemented by the Integrated Forest Fire management (IFFM) project
Grass-root approaches are the backbone of fire prevention concepts in East Kalimantan. Many of the local people are upland farmers and use fire as a tool for land clearing. On the other hand, many of them also have experienced damages and losses due to the fires in 1997/98. Therefore, fire management at village level is first of all a self-help-oriented approach.
Extension work, which includes village awareness campaigns and the distribution of information materials, is the first essential step to plant “fire prevention seeds” at village level. This is followed by the provision of a basic fire management training and fire fighting hand tools. The next step is to form volunteer village fire crews and to institutionalise the approach in planning workshops together with village fire crews, formal and informal community leaders and involved government agencies.
Besides those activities, nature camps for children and “roadside campaigns” are further activities to support CBFFM, developed and carried out by IFFM.
For the success of the program, an incentive system has to be designed benefiting local people who participate in the CBFFM. This further enhances the sustainability of such a program in general. The following incentives should to be part of a CBFFM system along with training and the provision of equipment:
• Village fire crews should have regular access to fire relevant information (early warning aspect, communication, coordination and co-operation in the field, etc.).
• Career opportunities in fire management within the forestry department but also job opportunities (volunteer fire crews, village trainers, etc.) have to be created;
• Government support of community development (e.g. income generating programs like the rehabilitation of burnt forest areas, etc.; provision of seedlings in the framework of community forestry; technical support like water supply facilities, further equipment, etc.).
• Awards for out-standing fire prevention performance during high fire danger events given to successful villages.
Six Steps towards Community Based Forest Fire Management
Step 1: Orientation process/identification of villages
• Villages selected particularly in or near fire hazardous forest areas.
• Formal and informal meetings carried out with key resource persons from the local government and communities to discuss fire management approaches.
• Socio-economic studies carried out to identify and assess the motivation, potential and constraints (problems) of local communities in the project areas with respect to fire management.
Step 2: Fire prevention campaigns
• Extension meetings carried at strategic locations / villages with participants from up to 10 sub-villages/hamlets.
• Villagers are encouraged to form volunteer village fire crews.
Step 3: Fire prevention and suppression training for volunteer village fire crews
• Hand tools provided to each participating sub-village/hamlet.
• Crews provide for proper storage and maintenance of hand tools (small warehouse, standard operating procedures, etc.).
Step 4: Institutionalising fire prevention work at village level
• Participatory planning workshop at village level (with representatives of village fire crews, formal and informal leaders), which also considers gender issues.
• Workshop results proposed to local and provincial government.
• Province government should provide for legal framework as part of the overall fire management system.
• Village fire crews integrated in “village structure”.
Step 5: Training of Trainers
• Up to five trained villagers per district appointed by village crews to participate.
• Village trainers to extend village fire prevention programs in close cooperation with crews of the provincial forestry service and concession crews.
• Job descriptions provided, also compensation for services by local government.
Step 6: Networking
• Regular meetings established between crew bosses of village fire crews, the forestry extension service and other involved government agencies, and concessions.
• Communication established. Early warning information reaches the local level in time, and vice versa.
Côte d'Ivoire:
Incentive system for successful fire prevention
The policy of Côte d'Ivoire involves an incentive system for successful fire prevention. In 1986 a National Committee on Forest Protection and Bush Fire Control has been established. Personnel of the Forest Service fill the positions of the General Secretariat and the Presidency of the National Committee. These bodies coordinate the participation of 14 ministries involved in national programs.
The task of this committee is to raise the awareness of the population of the damage caused by fires, the need for fire prevention and techniques for extinguishing fires. On the administrative level, 1500 Village Committees, 57 Local Committees and 32 Regional Committees were created to decentralize the task of fire control during the last ten years. The contracts with the committees are paid monthly (during the four months of the dry season). The remuneration is inversely proportional to the size of the area affected by fire. The basis of payment is:
• F CFA 500 000 (US$1000) per month per committee for 0 ha burned
• F CFA 400 000 (US$800) per month for less than 5 ha burned
• F CFA 200 000 (US$500) per month for less than 10 ha burned
• F CFA 50 000 (US$100) per month for less than 20 ha burned
