Objectives
The main objective of the project is to develop a numerical tool capable of simulating fire propagation and the emission of atmospheric pollutants in order to improve territorial resilience against the increasing number of wildfires driven by climate change. This objective is fully aligned with the specific goal of the programme to strengthen the Sudoe region’s capacity to prevent natural risks and reduce their negative environmental, economic, and social impacts. It also addresses the need for civil protection and air quality services, which are responsible for coordinating wildfire response and monitoring population exposure to air pollution, to have access to key information on fire spread and its effects on air quality. To this end, the following specific objectives are proposed:
- Collection of data to improve understanding of both the direct and indirect risks associated with wildfires.
- Comprehensive simulation of wildfire propagation and its continental-scale atmospheric impacts.
Overview
The EUBURN-RISK project aims to strengthen the capacity to prevent and manage the risks associated with wildfires occurring in Southwestern Europe (the Sudoe region), thereby protecting vulnerable stakeholders such as the population, ecosystems, and territorial assets. EUBURN-RISK seeks to develop a digital tool that can better anticipate both direct and indirect wildfire-related risks. The project intends to enhance the ability of public authorities to account for environmental impacts when designing land-use policies and to support civil protection services by providing key real-time information.
At first, the project proposes to gather the necessary data to improve scientific knowledge on wildfires through a measurement campaign carried out across the Sudoe territory. It will then focus on developing and testing, under real conditions, a digital tool capable of simulating wildfire propagation and the concentrations of emitted atmospheric pollutants. EUBURN-RISK is built on a strategy of transnational cooperation between researchers, public operators, and firefighting services, with the aim of creating a solid framework that benefits all parties involved.
Through a comprehensive and innovative approach, the project seeks to strengthen the potential of the Sudoe region in terms of wildfire propagation modelling and the study of emitted compounds, integrating different interfaces (fire, ecosystem, atmosphere) and spatial scales that have traditionally been examined separately.