Conclusion of the "Forest Fires" Workshop Emphasizes the Importance of Integration between Regions and Activating Enablers

The Climate Change Center of the National Center of Meteorology (NCM) concluded today in Jeddah the work of the specialized workshop entitled "Forest Fires... Causes and Solutions", which was held over two days, with the participation of a number of relevant government agencies, with the aim of discussing the causes of forest fires and studying possible solutions and treatments to reduce their spread.

The workshop, held in implementation of the recommendations of the Executive Committee of the Civil Defense Committee and the decisions of the committee in charge of chairing the National Center of Meteorology, discussed the incidents of forest fires and waste and their repercussions, and the damage they cause to vegetation, wildlife and environmental structure in the mountainous and southwestern regions of the Kingdom.

During the sessions, the participants reviewed a number of specialized working papers that dealt with the causes of natural and human fires, the role of climatic conditions in their spread, and the impact of the dry season, high temperatures and wind speed in enhancing flammability. The workshop also witnessed a review of the technical and technical capabilities of government agencies, data exchange mechanisms, and the enhancement of joint efforts in rapid response and combating the spread of fires.

The workshop included a wide participation from the concerned authorities, where the authorities reviewed the role of field supervision and coordination during the incidents, while the Climate Change Center presented its technical methodology and the necessary climatic data to support the workshop's outputs and achieve more accuracy in monitoring the environmental conditions related to the outbreak and spread of fires.

At the end of the workshop, the participants stressed the importance of integration between all entities to enhance national readiness to reduce the outbreak of forest fires, develop unified mechanisms for data exchange, and activate the available enablers according to best practices, stressing that the recommendations of the workshop will be submitted to complete their adoption and implementation within the plans of the relevant authorities.

This workshop comes in support of national efforts aimed at preserving vegetation cover, enhancing environmental sustainability, and raising the level of coordination between the competent authorities to address this phenomenon and reduce its effects on society, the economy and the environment.