Forest fire causes and prevention strategies in Portugal: Insights from stakeholder focus groups

Abstract

Forest fires are a major socioeconomic and environmental threat across many countries. There is increasing recognition of the need to develop integrated fire management approaches that emphasise the roles and perspectives of all stakeholders. Stakeholders' perspectives on this complex issue can inform research and policy development. Furthermore, stakeholders have a right to be involved in issues that affect them, and this involvement, in turn, improves the social acceptance of policies. This study conducts a participatory integrated assessment through focus groups with three stakeholder groups in Portugal, namely members of the general public (including from areas with a history of forest fires), local residents, and decision makers. Two main topics were analysed, i.e. perceived causes of forest fires as well as prevention strategies. Causes identified were mostly associated with socioeconomic factors and a lack of knowledge and awareness of the risks involved in the use of fire. Prevention strategies proposed significantly relied on government intervention and a shift in awareness and responsibility by direct actors and the population in general. A participatory integrated assessment allowed us to propose a framework of causes and prevention strategies for fire prevention, which can be included in a more bottom-up policy design that reflects the views of stakeholders.