12 - How to create a change in wildfire policies

Abstract

This chapter proposes a concise history of wildfire policies and research, their steps, and the induced progresses in some countries. Conversely, it presents a paradigmatic example where no change has been induced in a typically static suppression-centered policy, which now exhibits weaknesses to cope with the new scenario dominated by extreme wildfires. High-quality wildfire science results are available at world level, but translating them into actionable policy initiatives is rather difficult. Changes of policy supported by research are sometimes impeded by resistance, lack of information, vested interests, culture, personal behavior, and political convenience, which make the advocated shift difficult.