ESR1 Project

Wildfires are a natural disturbance in Mediterranean ecosystems, but their impact is increasing due to global environmental trends. Wildfire risk is increasing, and mega-fires are posing significant threats to humans and the environment, challenging the fire suppression capacities of countries in the region. This thesis aims at examining the meaning of resilience building in Mediterranean Europe,  by examining the socio-ecological nature of wildfires and the socio-political dimension of the resilience building process. It puts forward a framework that draws on social innovation, resilience theory, rural development, and wildfire literature to make socio-ecological resilience in fire-prone territories more concrete. Socio-ecological resilience is conceptualised as a territorially embedded process that aims to enhance societal well-being and sustainability in the face of change. Fire-prone territories are often linked to extractive relationships between urban and rural areas and the unbalanced allocation of resources for wildfire suppression versus prevention or forest management activities. The role of social innovation in building socio-ecological resilience in fire-prone territories involves collective responsibility allocation, allowing affected communities to have an active role in delineating their priorities, and facilitating cross-scale dialogue through bottom-linked structures. By framing wildfires as a territorial challenge, and a symptom of unbalanced human-nature relationships, this thesis emphasizes the importance of bridging wildfire governance and management with other sectors operating within the same geographical space, such as rural development, spatial planning, and food production, to achieve long-term socio-ecological resilience on a global-to-local scale.

Figure 1. Abandonment of rural activities is one of the drivers of increased wildfire risk. Valencia (Spain). Credits: Carmen Rodríguez

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