Promoting Low-Risk Fire Regimes: An Agent-Based Model to Explore Wildfire Mitigation Policy Options

Autor: Paulo Flores Ribeiro, Francisco Moreira, Maria João Canadas, Ana Novais, Miguel Leal, Sandra Oliveira, Rafaello Bergonse, José Luís Zêzere, José Lima Santos
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Fire, Vol 6, Iss 3, p 102 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2571-6255
DOI: 10.3390/fire6030102
Popis: Landscape patterns and composition were identified as key drivers of fire risk and fire regimes. However, few studies have focused on effective policymaking aimed at encouraging landowners to diversify the landscape and make it more fire-resilient. We propose a new framework to support the design of wildfire mitigation policies aimed at promoting low-risk fire regimes based on land use/land cover choices by landowners. Using the parishes of a fire-prone region in central Portugal as analysis units, a two-step modelling approach is proposed, coupling an agent-based model that simulates land use/land cover choice and a logistic model that predicts fire regimes from a set of biophysical variables reported as important fire regime drivers in the literature. The cost-effectiveness of different policy options aimed at promoting low-risk fire regimes at the parish level is assessed. Our results are in line with those of previous studies defending the importance of promoting landscape heterogeneity by reducing forest concentration and increasing agricultural or shrubland areas as a measure to reduce the risk of wildfire. Results also suggest the usefulness of the framework as a policy simulation tool, allowing policymakers to investigate how annual payments supporting agricultural or shrubland areas, depending on the policy mix, can be very cost-effective in removing a substantial number of parishes from high-risk fire regimes.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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