Forest fire management on the northern side of the Alps

HUB BERN | Project AWN-1

Our goal:

To provide the Canton of Bern with a comprehensive, climate-adapted risk management system for the prevention and control of forest fires. For this purpose, we collaborate with partners, diverse stakeholders, and civil society to create field-tested, evidence-based solutions tailored to local needs.

As a result of climate change, the northern side of the Alps is expected to see an increase in large-scale forest fires. Photo: Office for Forests and Natural Hazards (AWN), Canton of Bern

In a nutshell:

To date, major forest fires have been a fairly rare occurrence on the northern side of the Alps. With climate change, however, such fires must be expected to occur more often, today and in the future. In this project, the Wyss Academy for Nature and the Canton of Bern’s Office for Forests and Natural Hazards are investigating how the fire hazard and fire risk will develop on the northern side of the Alps in the medium to long term. The project also examines how the stakeholders in charge can efficiently respond to this increased risk. To minimize the impacts of forest fires on land use, biodiversity, and natural hazard management, we draw on experience and findings from the southern side of the Alps and the Mediterranean, adapting them to the specific conditions found in the Canton of Bern and on the northern side of the Alps.

During its first phase, which ran until mid-2024, the project focused on developing a knowledge base. A final report containing the results of this phase is currently being prepared. Some of the findings are already being applied by the Office for Forests and Natural Hazards, while others will be used in the second phase, which is focused on implementation. We aim to develop specific methods and tools, testing them with stakeholders and partners and putting them into practice.

In the first phase, comprising three thematic modules, we found the following:

The “Forest” module investigated the fire susceptibility, fire behavior, and resilience of the forest ecosystem in the Canton of Bern and on the northern side of the Alps. The module also examined the post-fire dynamics of forest stands and the susceptibility of the affected areas to erosion and landslides. The resulting parameters were then tested in a procedure for decision-making on post-fire measures for an area in Meiringen that had been affected by a forest fire in May 2022. This decision-making tool is currently still under development. In the second phase, the results will be used to develop a practical guide focusing on protection forests on the northern side of the Alps.

The “Hazard and Risk” module further developed the basis for hazard assessment and risk classification for the entire Canton and the northern side of the Alps. For example, the module examined the influence of the foehn and bise wind systems on the risk of forest fires. It also assessed the use of soil moisture data from existing monitoring series and provided a raster data set to assess forest fire risk in the past and present. These activities provide a basis for expanding and improving the Canton’s existing tool for assessing forest fire risk, increasing the reliability of the hazard and risk assessment. In 2024, we began implementing the results and validating their practical applicability through field monitoring.

The “Awareness and Communication” module evaluated and derived recommendations from the Canton’s existing tools and preventive measures (training, ongoing risk assessment, communications work, fire bans). The aim was to optimize prevention, and to target communication toward specific groups. The results of a broad-based survey in the Canton of Bern on risk perception and behavior are now being used to develop and test targeted communication in hotspot areas at the southern Jura foothills, on the sunny side of Lakes Thun and Brienz, and in the foehn-affected valleys in the Bernese Oberland. This work is being carried out in collaboration with local partners such as municipalities, fire brigades, and foresters. The team is also examining how best to implement further recommendations such as integrating the topic of forest fires into training in forest management and agriculture.

Knowledge about the flammability, fire behavior, and resilience of forest communities on the northern side of the Alps is key to comprehensive forest fire risk management in the Canton of Bern. Photo: Office for Forests and Natural Hazards (AWN), Canton of Bern

More information:

Waldbrand (Information about forest fires on the website of the Canton of Bern; available in German and French)

Risk of forest fires north of the Alps: Awareness and communication (Information about the corresponding module on the website of the Centre for Development and Environment CDE)

Waldbrandmanagment auf der Alpennordseite Modul Wald (Information about the “Forest” module on the website of the Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH; in German)

---

In collaboration with:

Office for Forests and Natural Hazards of the Canton of Bern (AWN)

Status: Ongoing project