The economic and environmental impact of fire preventive strategies in the Mediterranean region

• Published in: Journal of environmental management 2024-12, Vol.371, p.123095, Article 123095
• Main Authors: Castellet-Viciano, Lledó, Hernández-Chover, Vicent, Hernández-Sancho, Francesc
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Economic valuation; Ecosystem services; Preventive strategies; Wildfires; WUI areas
• ISSN: 0301-4797; 1095-8630; 1095-8630
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123095

Fire behaviour in the Mediterranean region has been altered by climate change. In the last decade, not only has the occurrence of fires increased but also their virulence. This is primarily due to higher temperatures and the decrease in the rainfall, which have made forest ecosystems less able to withstand fires. It has also been observed that most wildfires are related directly or indirectly with human actions, and they usually occur in wildland-urban interface (WUI) areas. The current research focuses on the economic quantification of the benefits that fire preventive strategies could generate, demonstrating that it is worth it to invest in this kind of measures for both the environment and the society. This study shows the results of a pioneering project, called GUARDIAN, which is applied in a WUI area located at the east of Spain, with the aim of preventing and combating wildfires that could put at risk the life of 15,000 inhabitants while preserving the Natural Park of Túria and La Vallesa (Valencia-Spain). GUARDIAN is a multifaceted project that integrates recycled water, advanced technology, and ecological enhancements to create a more fire-resilient environment while educating and preparing the local community for fire-related challenges. The results of the current research intend to give a value to those benefits of the project that usually have not a market value and are difficult to measure, and due to that fact, they are not usually considered in the cost-benefit analysis. The methodology applied allows to compare in economic terms the environmental benefits of fire preventive measures implemented in the GUARDIAN project with the costs incurred by the measures developed. The environmental area protected by the project results in a value that ranges between €338,035,481 to €485,384,281. Accordingly, the methodology and results of this study are of great interest to public administrations, encouraging the implementation of fire preventive strategies. •Fire prevention benefits should be economically measured to justify these measures.•Preventive fire management has environmental, social, and economic benefits.•Ecosystem services encompass the environmental, social, and economic benefits from natural areas.•AMUVAM permits to assess effectively fire prevention benefits in monetary terms.