Hosting International Wildland Fire Conference

By KH디지털2

Published : Oct. 11, 2015 - 17:38

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The heart-breaking news came in July 2013, not long after my ministerial inauguration at the Korea Forest Service. Nineteen brave young firefighters died on duty in the outbreak of the wildland conflagration in Arizona in the United States. This was the highest death toll of firefighters in a single fire accident since the 9/11 terrorist attack.

Since then, reports of large-scale fires around the world have continued sending shockwaves. As head of the nation’s forest agency, I was astounded by the severity and range of destruction in the world’s wildland fires. In the case of the U.S., the country saw its forest, 50 times the area of Seoul, burn down into ashes. Recently, large-scale wildland fires broke out in the U.S., China, Indonesia and other countries, driving the authorities to declare a state of emergency due to the damage to the forest and urban areas.

Yet the outbreaks of large-scale wildland fires have become more frequent and damaging, due to global warming and urbanization. This is why the international societies must join hands in combating and preventing wildland fire.

This year, we will be holding the International Wildland Fire Conference from Oct. 12-16 in Alpensia Resort, Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province. The IWFC is an international network conference to cope with the natural disaster. The global gathering is held every four years, for the world’s policymakers and experts engaging in wildland fire, natural disaster and environment to share information and research and seek cooperative measures.

Since the first round in Boston, U.S., the iWFC has held five rounds so far. In the fifth and latest round held in South Africa in 2011, Korea was dubbed the next host country of the sixth WFC, as the first Asian country to host the IWFC.

Shin Won-sop

The sixth IWFC is hosted and organized by the KFS and Gangwon Province, and supported by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. About 3,000 authorities and experts from 80 countries around the world will participate in the event.

With the theme “Fire of the Past, Fire in Future,” the IWFC will host a general meeting, plenary meetings, regional conferences and global conference. The general meeting includes keynote lectures and debate panel led by prominent keynote speakers.

The head of Global Fire Monitoring Center, and authorities of U.N. FAO and USDA Forest Service will participate in the event, to present their progress in the studies on wildland fire control and protection strategy, related technology and protection of world natural and cultural heritage. In the plenary session, studies on nine different subjects will be presented, in addition to the regional and global conferences to share the latest policies and issues of each participating countries.

The IWFC also arranged events and live demonstrations for the public, including the wildland fire extinguishing drill on Oct. 14, engaging 15 helicopters and 300 experts in operation.

We are gearing up our final efforts for the success of the sixth IWFC. This cannot be done without the cooperation of related organizations, as well as warm support and participation of the people.

Even at this moment, countless people and living creatures are losing home and shelters due to wildland fires. Forest is the future and hope for us all. This is precisely the reason why all of us must to pay attention and support the IWFC, an international effort to prevent and resolve the wildland fire issues around the world.

By Shin Won-sop

The writer is minister of the Korea Forest Service. The views reflected in the article are his own. --Ed.

Hosting International Wildland Fire Conference

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