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Beyond the flames: effects of wildfires in the Mediterranean Turkey

Wildfires. Photo.
The recent extreme wildfires in Turkey show us that the current last-minute fire suppression policies are not only costly for the government, but also insufficient to respond to disastrous, extreme wildfires.

Heatwaves and dry summer seasons have turned the Mediterranean basin into a global wildfire hotspot. In the summers of 2021 and 2022, wildfires raged across all of the Mediterranean, with devastating loss of lives, livelihoods, infrastructure and more than 620,000 ha forest area. LUCSUS researchers have studied barriers for collective action in preventing, responding, and adapting to fires, and made a short documentary revealing how local communities` everyday lives are affected by wildfires.

– Our research shows that we need to shift from today’s unplanned, last minute fire suppression measurements to more community-based adaptation to mitigate the fire risks and prevent extreme wildfires, says LUCSUS researcher Mine Islar who’s been leading the research project Urgent consequences of climate delay: Wildfires in the Mediterranean, together with research assistant Utku Kuran.

Loss of livelihoods, local knowledge, and forest management practices

During fieldwork in the summer of 2022, Utku Kuran interviewed forest villagers and local actors involved in the 2021 wildfires. That year, many Mediterranean countries went through one the worst wildfires season in decades. The Southwestern regions of Turkey experienced the most severe blazes in the basin, with fires reaching the highest daily intensity ever recorded in the country`s history with more than 200,000 ha burnt area. The blazes especially impacted the rural areas and affected forest villages where local communities depend on pine forest for their livelihoods.

– During my fieldwork I collected stories from goat herders, beekeepers, volunteers, village representatives, and local wildfire brigade crews to uncover the impact of the wildfires, and their past and present experiences of fire management, says Utku Kuran.

His interviews showed that many of the main income generating activities, which has been practiced for hundreds of years, may not be practiced for decades due to loss of vast pine forest areas.

– It is especially problematic for communities who depend on beekeeping for pine honey who now needs to find alternative incomes for their livelihoods, says Utku Kuran.

forest after wildfires. Photo.
The Southwestern regions of Turkey experienced the most severe blazes in the basin, with fires reaching the highest daily intensity ever recorded in the country`s history with more than 200,000 ha burnt area

The importance of local forest management practices for preventing and responding to wildfires

According to Utku Kuran, the loss of livelihoods, local knowledge and practices are closely linked to the rural exodus driven by macroeconomic changes and rapid urbanization. With the growth of the industries in urban areas and changing rural policies, local activities in rural areas have become less attractive for people.

The rural depopulation in the forest villages has resulted in a rural land abandonment, diminished local community involvement in forest, and fire management networks. The decline in traditional practices, which helped locals to prevent wildfires for many years, has increased the fire spreading risks.

Traditional practices such as goat breeding, and resin harvesting are examples of diminished local community involvement in forests. These local activities have not only served as income activities but have also been used as forest management practices to help reduce the tree density, break the continuum of the shrublands and reduce fast-developing wildfires.

– The recent extreme wildfires in Turkey show us that the current last-minute fire suppression policies are not only costly for the government, but also insufficient to respond to disastrous, extreme wildfires. Our research shows the urgent need to strategically involve local communities in the fire management and shift to more human-centered, community-based adaptation approaches in Turkish Mediterranean, says Utku Kuran.

VIDEO: Flames in pines. What are the consequences of wildfires in Turkey?

In a short documentary film, produced by Utku Kuran and Mine Islar, they reveal how local communities` everyday lives are affected by wildfires, in terms of loss of livelihoods. The film brings local narratives into scene by illuminating the agency of forest villagers to respond and prevent wildfires. The documentary film also sheds light on past and present local experiences and put emphasis on the challenges that local community faces after wildfires.

About the researchers

Utku Kuran is a research assistant at Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS).

Mine Islar is a senior lecturer at Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS).

 

About the project “Urgent consequences of climate delay: Wildfires in the Mediterranean”

Wildfires have social, political, historical aspects that reveal out the inequalities, class struggles, and changing nature-society relationships more clearly. By departing from this point, this project analyzes the tragic wildfires which occurred in Southwestern Turkey in 2021. Using a political ecology framework the researchers analyze the linkages between changing material relations to nature, changing rural policies with wildfire and forest management networks. The study shows how materialized and centralized perceptions on forests interact, and change the local practices concerning forest management, fire prevention and responses. This provides an opportunity to understand the barriers and opportunities for collective action efforts in preventing, responding, and adapting to fires.