The Role of Waste in Forest Fires: Community-Based Awareness and Solution Strategies

Within the scope of the Civic Engagement Grant Program, implemented by UNDP with the financial support of the European Union, the project titled “The Role of Waste in Forest Fires: Community-Based Awareness and Solution Strategies” has been carried out in partnership with Antalya Metropolitan Municipality and the Eastern Mediterranean Research Association. The project focuses on the issue of waste in forested areas and wildland–urban interfaces, as well as the potential fire risks associated with such waste.

The project includes the following components:

• First, legislation related to the collection and disposal of waste in forest areas and wildland–urban interfaces was examined through multi-stakeholder dialogue platforms involving public institutions, universities, and civil society organizations, identifying gaps and key challenges.
• Based on these discussions, a workflow protocol was developed for ideal waste management and reduction in these areas, along with associated fire risk mitigation strategies.
• To better understand the role of waste in fires of unknown origin, gaps in standard data were identified, and pilot studies were conducted. As a result, a guideline was developed to serve as a basis for systematic waste data collection.
• In Kemer, the pilot district of the project, the perspectives of local stakeholders on the relationship between waste and forest fires were assessed and documented.
• As part of awareness-raising activities, a “Zero Waste Day” was organized in Kepez Urban Forest with the participation of Kepez Secondary School students, demonstrating that it is possible to spend a day in nature without generating waste.
• Informational signage highlighting the relationship between waste and fire risk was installed in five widely used recreational areas across Antalya.

You can access the open-access documents produced during the project below.