Climate Change and Wildland Urban Interface

Understanding the Wildland Urban Interface problematic under the UN scope (Climate Change, SDGs and Disaster Risk Reduction) is offering us some important answers, a proper pathway that is calling us to rethink about how and where to concentrate our efforts in order to avoid tragedies in some very sensitive areas.

Unfortunately there is no just one origin, in crisis time, we are suffering several consequences that we did not consider before. In fact, most of habitants are expecting an appropriate response from the respective responsibles and we are still seeing short actions until we have the disaster in front of our places.

In first time, it results necessary to situate in the middle of the efforts those stakeholders that have a natural interference in their own areas, the communities, because they are present 24/7, 365 days per year and for generations even. We also find organized neighborhood groups, businesses, local services and schools.

Involving at the school the school community, neighborhoods around and other stakeholders in order to participate, understanding and respecting eachother, achieving consensus and cooperation, is the current (and effective) way to prepare and administrate the landscapes with sustainable, innovative and circular solutions to reduce disasters.

Our current models and local efforts in most places that suffer fire issues are unfortunately under the line, we can attribute this to several reasons: people's distrust and discontent with their political authorities and agencies, poor understanding and little interest in current challenges, abandonment and lack of management due to economic needs, etcetera.

We can not expect to changing behaviors with one hour talk once per year, teachers we know that education is a permanent and constant process, the only valid and effective method to influence in a better future considering the current worldwide challenges, creating resilient mechanisms and efforts throughout common calls in the most neutral, safer, inclusive and consensus place, the school.

Our experience and efforts have movilized communities to reduce the vulnerability, they have prepared the areas for a safer and resilient environment, they have organized themselves with the respective city councils and most ideas were born in the local school, considering the current climate problematic and the manifestations in last 30 years.

We are happy to share our scope, methodology and experience with those interested that are experiencing the fire problematic (but also other disasters) every single year, we are open to contribute, participate and support different efforts, according the local situations, history, culture, traditions, possibilities and visions.