Forest management, an important issue in Catalunya
1 April 2015
The main Catalan Television Channel (TV3) broadcast at prime time on March 31st a feature on the present status of Catalan forests. The programme was focused on the lack of management received by forest areas during the last decades. It is not incidental. The increasing risk of major forest fires related to low quality forest structure and fuel load accumulation has become an issue as forests have been neglected, mainly owing to socioeconomic factors.
Experts are predicting a scenario of recurrent wildfires in Catalunya such as those occurring in Australia and North America, and lately also in Greece, Portugal and other Mediterranean countries, unless forest management becomes widespread. At this point, the same experts assume that major investments in fire extinction policies and equipment are not worth without a previous approach based on preventive action in which forest management and forest quality improvement become essential.
Recent data indicate that about half of the Catalan territory is covered by forests but only 10% of this areas receive proper forest management. In the other 90% management is insufficient or even absent. It is in that context that a project such as LIFE Montserrat willing to increase forest management and promoting lost productive activities in forest areas takes on grater relevance. The successful outcome of the project entails positive results in forest fire prevention, environmental conservation and local economic development. From this standpoint, it could become the necessary spearhead to achieve a new social awareness with regard to forests and their need of management.
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