A project aimed at combating forest fires has been completed.
The project's closing meeting, which was held at our General Directorate in collaboration with local governments, AFAD district units, and the fire departments of Antalya and Muğla municipalities, was held at our General Directorate.
The project aimed to strengthen the forest fire prevention and response capacity of our General Directorate and forest villages by developing specific local solutions through a bottom-up approach. Additionally, it sought to elevate the impact of activities to national and international levels and expand their scope over time to include other disasters and their effects.
The project included pilot studies, institutional capacity building, scientific and technical assessments, and strengthening emergency response coordination to increase the resilience of forest villages against wildfires. Ten forest villages with different characteristics were selected to develop and implement customized fire prevention and response models.
Close collaboration was established with village residents to understand their needs and expectations while fostering capacity building. Villagers conducted a survey, and training sessions were planned involving state institutions, including our General Directorate's regional units. During the training programs, technical expertise in wildfire prevention and disaster response was shared with local government personnel and villagers through workshops and booklets by experts from our General Directorate and AFAD. The training also included specialized emergency drills.
As a result, villagers were educated on effective fire prevention, early extinguishing techniques, emergency response, and evacuation procedures during a fire, recognizing the importance of community collaboration in disaster management.
Through this project:
- Ten emergency and evacuation plans were developed, tailored to each village.
- Emergency response capacity development reports for forest villages were prepared.
- Climate change vulnerability and risk assessment reports specific to forest villages were compiled.
This comprehensive approach aimed to strengthen forest villages' resilience to wildfires and improve disaster preparedness at both local and national levels.