Responsible forest management for forest fire mitigation: Impact stories from Portugal

In 2024, Portugal’s fire season started off with the risk of danger only slightly above average. By September, dry conditions and strong winds had made things much worse across the Iberian Peninsula and fires were widespread. In fact, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts reported that large fires burned 110,000 hectares in Portugal in a single week, more than a quarter of the total area burned in Europe in 2024. 

Portugal is particularly vulnerable to wildfires because of the way land is owned and managed. Especially in the north and centre, forests are fragmented into very small holdings. These are often on steep slopes that are hard to reach, where invasive species can grow unchecked. Furthermore, because owners of these micro-properties find it difficult to realise the economic value of the forest, they neglect management, and that allows the build-up of fuel. 

As the climate emergency continues to intensify, responsible forest management becomes ever more important to mitigate the risk of wildfires, by reducing the fuel load of dry material on abandoned land, thus preventing catastrophic wildfires. Promoting proper land management to prevent wildfires is at the core of an initiative from WWF Portugal called ‘Common Forest Agenda,’ developed in collaboration with FSC Portugal. 

As well as supporting this WWF initiative, FSC Portugal also instigated the Solidário FSC campaign to support forest owners who suffered the devastating impacts of the September 2024 fires. As part of these fundraising efforts FSC published a book – ‘ecossisTEMAS – Impact Stories’ – that highlights accounts of successful responsible forest management. The book launch featured guest speakers from the organizations behind the stories, offering an immersive look into the reality of Portugal’s forests. 

Are you willing to support the recovery of Portugal’s forests? The text of ecossisTEMAS – Stories of Impact is in Portuguese and English, and 100% of proceeds go to support forest recovery efforts. You can buy a copy by sending an email to geral@pt.fsc.org. 

To learn more visit:  

Solidário FSC | Forest Stewardship Council 

Proposta de agenda para prevenção de incêndios em Portugal | Forest Stewardship Council