INTRODUCTION
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and Environment (DFFE) are convening a workshop as part of
the Improvement of the National Fire Danger Rating System in Support of Early Warning and Risk Reduction (INSpiRe) project. The INSpiRe project aims
to critically assess and formulate a new Fire Danger Index (FDI) in support of the National Veld and Forest Fire Act (Act 101 of 1998) and its Amendment (Act 12 of 2001).
This initiative seeks to enhance and refine South Africa's National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS) through extensive stakeholder consultations,
ultimately improving its effectiveness in supporting and guiding nationwide fire management strategies. The project extends one of the key deliverables implemented by
the SAWS in collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in the Integrated Climate-driven Multi-Hazard Early Warning System
(ICMHEWS) project, funded by the Government of Flanders. Initially conducted in three district municipalities, the work will now be expanded with funding
received from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) in 2023. These efforts will be scaled up to a national level, covering all 44
district municipalities in South Africa. The project aims to develop a comprehensive fire danger index to serve as an early warning system. Accordingly,
the NFDRS will be refined to enhance the country's preparedness, response, and risk management capabilities regarding fire outbreaks. This undertaking is
scheduled for completion in 2027.
BACKGROUND
SAWS routinely and operationally communicates daily the NFDRS outlooks to the public and relevant stakeholders as mandated in the National Veld and Forest
Fire Act (101 of 1998) and the Amendment (12 of 2001). The sole objective of these forecasts is for the prevention and mitigation of veld, forest, and mountain
fires. Over the past decades, South Africa has seen an increase in wildfires attributed to various factors, including climate change, terrain properties, and
changes in land use affecting vegetation. Consequently, limitations have been identified in the current FDI calculated by SAWS to project the categories of the NFDRS.
Particular weaknesses are in forecasting and evaluating fire hazards in regions such as the Western Cape, Garden Route District, and the Fynbos Biome.
To address
existing shortcomings, SAWS, through a DFFE-funded project, aims to develop a new fire danger index algorithm that will enhance the NFDRS forecasts, providing more
reliable early warnings for fire danger at all district levels. This initiative will not only improve the reliability and consistency of the NFDRS but also support
the DFFE's role in the Re-imagined Industrial Strategy (RIS) and the Forestry Sector Masterplan for the Commercial Forestry Sector in South Africa for 2020-2025.
In the project's final year, SAWS will lead stakeholder engagement sessions involving key stakeholders, including government agencies, emergency services, local
communities, and environmental groups. These consultations and benchmarking exercises aim to gather final inputs and achieve consensus on the development or revision of the NFDRS.
OBJECTIVES OF THE WORKSHOP
The purpose of the workshop is to conduct a
comprehensive consultation with key stakeholders in fire management and early warning systems. The workshop will solicit inputs from diverse stakeholders which will
include government agencies, research institutions, private sector representatives, and international experts. In this respect, the specific objectives of the engagement
workshop are:
1. Technical Work and Results Presentation
o Report on the progress of technical work between SAWS and CSIR.
o Present and discuss preliminary results.
2. Project Overview and Introduction
o Provide an
introduction and overview of the SAWS/DFFE project.
3. Implementation Plan Consultation
o Consult the comprehensive implementation
plan, detailing roles, responsibilities, and timelines.
4. Stakeholder Alignment and Engagement
o Align stakeholder expectations
and needs with the project.
o Capture and incorporate stakeholder needs into the foundational implementation.
o Identify and engage key industry stakeholders involved in fire management and early warning systems.
o Explore potential synergies and interests across various stakeholders.
5.
Scientific Knowledge and Methodologies
o Leverage cutting-edge scientific knowledge and methodologies from
researchers to enhance the systems.
PARTICIPANTS
Participants for the workshop include key stakeholders in the fire management industry, including experts, academia, government, and the private sector.
WORKSHOP FORMAT
The workshop will be conducted in-person in Pretoria, South Africa.