A new FAO publication about forest-related disasters

Wednesday, January 27 , 2021 5024

 FAO in Rome published in January 2021 a new study on forest-related disasters that will help contribute to the development of effective responses for future incidents.

Forest-related disasters - Three case studies and lessons for management of extreme events assesses three major disasters that affected forests:

Gudrun, a powerful storm that struck Sweden in 2005,

The Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011,

A firestorm in Chile in 2017.

The study makes key recommendations on how to prepare for similar disasters and how to deal with their aftermath.

The publication was released on the 16th anniversary of Gudrun, the strong storm that passed over northern Europe causing severe wind damage, poweroutages, and flooding.

“Forest disasters can be catastrophic for both the forests themselves and for the people who depend on them, and a single event can change the cultural and economic life of e.g. small island states entirely,” said FAO Forestry Officer Jonas Cedergren.

“Countries need to be prepared for these eventualities, but also take into account how useful forests can be to mitigate disasters, for example by reducing the intensity of tsunami flood waves or stabilizing slopes against landslides and avalanches.”

You can download for free the document using this direct linkto the FAO website : http://www.fao.org/3/cb0686en/CB0686EN.pdf

More information on the FAO website about this interesting guide: http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cb0686en

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