The workshop on “Innovating with wildfire risk management – A new strategy for Europe” took place as part of the ACCREU project activities jointly with the research project Firelog and other leading wildfire-related projects from all over Europe, on May 20-21, 2025, in Brussels. The workshop brought together more than one hundred participants, including scientists, end-users, stakeholders, Members of the European Parliament, European Commission representatives, and national policy experts.
Fires are growing in intensity, frequency, and unpredictability. Longer summers and higher average temperatures, once rare, are now common across regions that were previously considered low risk. For instance, during the workshop, it was emphasized that the Netherlands, a traditionally wet country, is seeing record-breaking heat and expanding fuel sources that fuel wildfire outbreaks. Firefighting strategies based on past conditions are no longer enough. When fire intensity reaches a certain threshold, traditional suppression methods can no longer contain the flames.
The workshop highlighted the need for an integrated, landscape-based wildfire risk management strategy that is tailored to Europe’s diverse ecosystems. Forests that have been simplified into monocultures for economic gain have become more vulnerable to large-scale fires. Instead, restoring natural ecosystems, promoting biodiversity, and aligning forest management with climate resilience must become central to the continent’s approach.
Data emerged as a critical issue. Effective wildfire risk assessment depends on access to high-quality, comprehensive data from diverse sources such as climate records, land-use maps, vegetation and fuel data, socio-economic information, and real-time monitoring systems. However, a major challenge lies in the fragmentation and inconsistency of existing data, which are often scattered across various platforms and institutions. To address this, it is crucial to consolidate and harmonize these datasets, creating standard methods for data integration, management, and sharing. The workshop emphasized that better integration of climate science, land-use planning, and real-time monitoring is essential.
Community involvement was also identified as a pillar of resilience. Fire risk cannot be tackled by firefighters and policymakers alone—citizens, landowners, and industries all play a role in managing fuel sources, identifying risks, and responding to emergencies. The need for education, shared responsibility, and clearer communication was stressed, with a call for building strong partnerships between governments, researchers, and local communities.
The workshop also called for improved financial tracking systems, such as public expenditure reviews, to ensure that funding supports the most impactful actions across prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.
The discussion underscored the critical need for collaborative efforts, practical application, and continuous investment in both innovative solutions and capacity building to ensure the lasting effectiveness of wildfire risk management strategies throughout Europe.
A promising new approach to financing fire management involves creating carbon pricing mechanisms that account for the increased risk in fire-prone regions. While still in its infancy, this risk-adjusted carbon market offers significant potential to support nature-based solutions for fire prevention and control. Crucially, these financial tools must be carefully designed to align with the unique spatial and ecological characteristics of the areas they are intended to benefit.
Looking ahead, Europe must move from reactive firefighting to proactive, with adaptation strategies that integrate science, technology, and local knowledge. Effective future adaptation must be climate-resilient and consider the interconnected effects of both climate change and evolving land-use patterns. Future adaptation strategies must be both forward-looking and climate-resilient, ensuring that ecosystems are managed to minimize fire risks while promoting long-term vegetation health and sustainability. Europe’s approach to wildfires must evolve—and fast.