Citizen Engagement in Wildfire Management: Needs, Challenges, Methods and Framework

With climate change, the frequency and spread of wildfires have intensified globally, bearing disastrous impacts on wildlife, the economy, and human well-being. Efforts on broad fronts are required, including proactive public participation. However, studies related to citizen engagement in the context of wildfire management remain limited. Therefore, there is a need for further studies in this area. This paper reports on ongoing work conducted in the context of an H2020 project called SILVANUS. The study investigates the methods, practices, needs and challenges related to citizen engagement in wildfire management. The authors have developed a tentative citizen engagement framework, and preliminary results related to citizens' needs and challenges are presented. The study identifies relevant topics, training contents, and methods that can be used for public engagement in wildfire management. The paper contributes towards designing future engagement modalities, technologies and training materials related to wildfire management and potentially even other crises.