Forests and fire: strengthening prevention and management in India
This report analyses patterns and trends of forest fires in India. While the findings of this study indicate that forest fires occur in almost every state in India each year, some districts are more vulnerable than others, and engaging with the communities that use forests is vital, as is improving coordination with the other agencies that are involved in managing forests and responding to forest fires. The report discusses policies on forest fire prevention and management (FFPM) at the national, state and local levels, underscoring the need for a comprehensive national policy and guidelines. Current practices in the areas of prevention, detection, suppression, and post-fire management are also discussed. While India has made great strides in the use of technology for detecting forest fires, there is still a need to strengthen fire prevention practices and to develop a well-equipped and trained workforce to fight fires. Strengthening post-fire assessment, inter-state knowledge sharing, and research to understand the longer-term impacts of fires and the costs associated with them would also go a long way to help improve FFPM in India.