There is a stark contrast between the public resources allocated to the suppression of forest fires and prevention—in favor of the former. Report by the the environmental organization WWF For the five-year period 2016–2020, it concludes that during this time, 778 million euros were spent on combating forest fires and only 189 million on forest management and preventive measures. Furthermore, there was no adequate justification for the allocation of resources, nor was there an accountability report at the end of each fire season, while the absorption rate of the relevant resources of the ESPA It barely surpassed the 50%.
Among the conclusions of the report presented yesterday:
• There is a huge imbalance in the allocation of resources between suppression and prevention. 80.5% of the allocated resources went toward forest fire suppression, while only 19.5% went toward prevention.
• Funding for forest fire prevention and suppression efforts is provided in a piecemeal manner, through various funding mechanisms, without any central planning.
• Decisions regarding the allocation of resources to various entities or initiatives are not adequately documented. Citizens’ access to information is often restricted.
• Once the fire season ends, there is no assessment of the effectiveness of the funded projects, and audits are sporadic.
• Over the past 20 years, the Forest Service’s staff has been reduced by 53%, and the funds allocated to it have been cut by 80%.
«There is no precise estimate at the national level of the resources allocated to prevention and suppression,» said Ilias Tziritis, who is in charge of forest fire issues at WWF. «This creates an obvious problem in the planning and evaluation of the system.».
Another issue is the low absorption rate of EU funds. Under the 2014–2020 NSRF, only 53.2% was absorbed. «For example, the Antonis Tritsis program has allocated 130 million euros for equipment and initiatives by municipalities, but very few have submitted proposals. There is a complete lack of fire prevention plans at the municipal level,» he added.
«The fires of recent years have shown that the limits and capabilities of the firefighting system have been exceeded and that it has failed. At the same time, they have highlighted the importance of prevention,» said Panagiota Maragkou, head of environmental protection programs at WWF. «There needs to be a different culture within the forest protection system.» Among the organization’s proposals are the development of a national wildfire protection plan and the creation of a central oversight mechanism within the Ministry of Civil Protection that would review not only the legality but also the feasibility of the projects.
The report «The Economics of Forest Fire Prevention and Suppression» was prepared as part of the project «Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in the Financing of Forest Fire Prevention and Suppression with the Contribution of Civil Society,» implemented under the Active Citizens Fund program (funded by the European Economic Area), with WWF Greece as the implementing organization and the Mediterranean Institute for Investigative Journalism (MIIR) as a partner.
Exercise in Chalkidiki
The evacuation of the village of Fourka in Chalkidiki, including the elementary school, due to a forest fire, was part of the drill scenario developed by the General Secretariat for Civil Protection and the Municipality of Kassandra, which took place yesterday in the presence of Minister Christos Stylianidis. The drill also simulated the evacuation of people with disabilities from their homes and two rescue operations to free trapped individuals. All civil protection directorates in the wider region participated in the drill, along with 22 firefighters with vehicles, the police, the National Ambulance Service (EKAV), volunteer groups, and others. This is the first exercise of its kind to be held this year, and according to Mr. Stylianidis, others will follow in areas that see high visitor traffic during the summer. As he noted, through such joint exercises, the relevant agencies develop a «common operational language,» while citizens are informed about what to do in the event of a forest fire.
