Valencia, June 26, 2024 - The General Directorate for Forest Fire Prevention and General Directorate for Environmental Quality and Education of the Generalitat Valenciana, Vaersa, MediXXi, ClimateKIC and Tecnalia, gathered to follow-up the progress of the DesirMED project, jointly revise the work plan, upcoming milestones, and preparation for hosting the next General Assembly meeting in February 2025.
Relevant discussions were held on the pivotal methodological proposal for the deployment of the Valencia Demonstrator, which splits in two different pilots:
Pilot 1: At the regional level, an extensive database of Copernicus Fire Risk Indicators for Europe from 1970 to 2098, which have been derived from climate projections will be analysed. Understanding the outputs of the Fire Weather Index System (FWI) and other derived variables, is critical specifically under climate change scenarios with a resolution of 0.11° x 0.11°, equating to approximately 10km, based on Eurocordex data for the Valencian Community. This analysis will allow the identification of Climate Signal and FWI Projections to determine how the values of the FWI might change in percentage terms and to identify critical points that may require special attention. The resulting information will feed the current "Integrated Forest Fire Management System" of the Valencia Region, complementing the available information with climate change adaptation perspective.
Pilot 2: Evaluating the effectiveness of the Guardian Project "Green Urban Actions for Resilient Fire Defence of the Interface Area" under climate change scenarios. Discussions included an analysis of how the proposed solutions affect variables such as relative humidity, soil moisture levels, and temperature, all of which are crucial in configuring the FWI. Futures scenario planning for the widespread implementation of the solutions in the Valencian Community was another key topic. The impacts of these solutions were examined in terms of current risk levels and under future climate change scenarios. Additionally, the potential effects on other sectors, including thermal stress and the urban heat island effect, were also considered.
Raising awareness of the project was one of the topics of discussion, a Valencian CLIMATHON is foreseen by the end of the year with the collaboration of Valencian stakeholders, such as the Polytechnic University of Valencia or the municipality of Valencia. A challenge related to fire prevention will lead an ideas’ competition event where students, start-ups and entrepreneurs will be invited to develop innovative solutions to make our forest more resilient.
This meeting marks a critical step in preparing the Valencian Community for future challenges posed by climate change and highlights the region's commitment to mitigating fire risks through innovative and proactive measures.
