Fire and its impact on water, air and land will be the focus of the next Bushfire CRC Research To Drive Change online forum this Friday 29 August
Fire and its impact on water, air and land will be the focus of the next Bushfire CRC Research To Drive Change online forum later this week (12.30pm this Friday 29 August).
The forum, Fire in the landscape, reveals the findings of four key projects by University of Melbourne and University of Sydney researchers on the impact of fire on our landscape in terms of water quantity and quality and the changing nature of carbon stores (above and below the ground).
The first two studies focused on the role and impact of planned and unplanned fire in water quality and quantity from catchment forests in south eastern Australia.
The other two concentrated on the quantification of carbon losses during fire, a key issue emerging from climate change and increasing greenhouse gases within our atmosphere.
Fire in the landscape is the seventh in the Research To Drive Change series, a highly interactive program of live online forums communicating the key findings of Bushfire CRC research and the implications for emergency management.
More than 90 people from across the emergency management sector participated in the last forum, Living on the edge, held earlier in August.
Professor Ross Bradstock (University of Wollongong) and Associate Professor Ruth Beilin (University of Melbourne), together with industry representative Mike Wouters, of South Australia’s Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, detailed their research on householder perceptions of fire risk and how these shape bushfire preparedness.
Professor Bradstock ‘s research indicates that people living in fire-prone areas recognise fire risk, but may treat it as a lower priority than other lifestyle values and factors, such as lack of time, cost barriers and aesthetic quality.
Dr Beilin’s study provides a ‘mud map’ mechanism for householders to visualise and reflect on the fire risk in and around their properties so they can take action. The technique could be a useful tool for community safety educators to talk to people about fire risks, identify ways to safeguard their properties and increase their chances of surviving a bushfire.
A video of this forum is available for replay on the Bushfire CRC website along with a range of resources, such as a Fire Note and full research reports. These resources are available on the site for all past and upcoming forums.
Forthcoming forums in the Research To Drive Change online forum series are:
Focus: Explores how people behave, make decisions and respond to stressful conditions such as the threat of bushfire.
For: Community safety practitioners, communications managers and practitioners, community members and community groups, as well as members of the media.
Focus: Investigates information flow, communication, capacity to adjust to emerging scenarios, breakdown in coordination, training and education and how changes to these elements will support more effective incident management.
For: Senior emergency managers and state and regional level incident coordinators, as well as emergency management policy makers.
Focus: Investigates the science behind extreme fire weather, including fire development, transition and suppression. In particular, it explores the lifecycle of a bushfire.
For: Fire operations staff, incident controllers, fire behaviour analysts and strategic planners.
*When: TBA
*Please note that final dates and times are subject to last minute change. Please refer to the Bushfire CRC website for the latest updates.