DATE / TIME:

2014•05•14 - 2014•05•24

Location:

North Australia

From 14 – 24 May 2014, the United Nations University (UNU) Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (IAS) Traditional Knowledge Initiative (TKI) hosted a study tour for Brazilian Fire Managers in North Australia.

The Australian study tour was a collaborative effort between the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH project for Improved Fire Management in Cerrado of Brazil and UNU’s International Savanna Fire Management Initiative.

Brazilian Fire Experts in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. Photo: Renaje Nunes

The purpose of the study tour was to enable Brazilian delegates to learn and exchange on topics such as:

• Exposure to the Northern Australian fire management organisational structure, planning and cooperation between government fire management organisations (national, provincial district) and other agencies;
• Exposure to specific interactions and cooperative agreements between various government levels and agencies, industry, private landowners, and communities;
• Exposure to Australian Fire Science and Research with focus on fire ecology and fire emission abatement program (WALFA);
• Exposure to Fire Management planning in Protected Area and the according implementation of Prescribed Burning program (conservation v.v. fire management goals); and
• Discuss budget processes for a fire management organization and planning.

The study tour and learning exchange hosted 12 representatives, 9 from a range of federal and state agencies and parks in Brazil, and 3 representatives from GIZ. The group spent time with Indigenous Australians and the staff of Warddeken Land Management in West Arnhem Land, and heard from several agencies, scientists and organisations across the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Members of Brazil’s ICMBio prepare to practice lighting fires in Arnhem Land by helicopter. Photo: UNU

The full itinerary included:

• Introduction to Australia’s Carbon Farming Initiative’s Savanna Burning Methodology, and community led savanna fire management, 14 May 2014, Darwin, Australia.
• Site visit to WALFA Project hosted by Warddeken Land Management Limited, 15–17 May 2014, Kabulwarnamyo, Northern Territory (NT), Australia.
• Site visit to Kakadu National Park including discussions regarding practical fire management approaches, integrating fire management with tourism, conservation, asset protection and indigenous use in a protected area setting, 17–18 May 2014, Kakadu, NT, Australia.
• Meetings with various Northern Territory fire management agencies and stakeholders, 19 – 20 May 2014, Darwin, Australia.
• Workshop on the outlook for community led savanna fire management and the Carbon Farming Initiative with various Australian agencies and stakeholders, 21 May 2014, Darwin, Australia.
• Site visit to Kununurra regarding fire management of the Kimberly region, 22–24 May 2014, Kununurra, Western Australia, Australia.

Early dry season savanna burns in distance. West Arnhem Land Indigenous and adjoining pastoral lands. Photo: UNU

Backgound

Brazil hosts a great variety of major ecosystem types encompassing the Amazon and Mata Atlantica forests, the Caatinga shrublands, the Cerrado savannahs, the unique wetland areas of the Pantanal and the Pampas grasslands. In the past decade fire has become one of the major challenges in and outside protected areas. However recognising also the beneficial effects of fire and the ecological role of fires, Brazil started to strengthen its approach in Integrated Fire Management (IFM) by integrating the various technical, ecological and social aspects of fire management into the overall protected area and land management approaches. To further advance the concept of Integrated Fire Management and to continue improving and mainstreaming IFM into management plans, the study tour enabled representatives from the Federal and State level government with responsibility for integrated fire management at the various administrative and implementation levels to view and learn about the Northern Australian fire management system.

Brazilian fire management activities in Terra Indigenous. Photo: IBAMA/Prevfogo

For further information about the expansion of the Brazilian Cerrado project into indigenous lands following the Brazilian Fire Managers visit to North Australia see:

• Article “IBAMA prepares integrated fire management activities on indigenous lands” (PORTUGUÊS)
• CIMAN Virtual 2014 (Portugues only)