Extreme Wildfire Events and Disasters : Root Causes and New Management Strategies

Extreme Wildfire Events and Disasters: Root Causes and New Management Strategies highlights the urgent need for new methods to prepare and mitigate the effects of these events. Using a multidisciplinary, socio-ecological approach, the book discusses the roots of the problem, presenting a new, innovative approach to wildfire mitigation based on the operational concept of Fire Smart Territory (FST). Under the guidance of its expert editors, the book highlights new ways to prevent and respond to extreme wildfire events and disasters through sustainable development, thus revealing better management methods and increasing protection of both the natural environment and the vulnerable communities within it.

• Reveals the complexity of extreme wildfire events and disasters in an accessible, comprehensive and multidisciplinary way
• Reviews the ground-breaking concept of Fire Smart Territory (FST) which offers an opportunity to reduce wildfire occurrence and severity through measures that promote sustainable development
• Proposes a new perspective on disaster risk reduction to help researchers, planners and professionals successfully adapt their methods for mitigating current and future issues

Fantina Tedim has a PhD in Human Geography. She is an Assistant Professor in the Geography Department at the University of Porto, Portugal, and a University Fellow of the University of Charles Darwin, Australia. Since 2007, her research has focused on disaster risk reduction mainly in relation to wildfire hazards, and she has written 9 papers in this area. Currently, she is the lead of an international project (FIREXTR) focused on preventing and preparing society for extreme wildfire events.

Vittorio Leone, now retired from academia and working as an independent researcher, was a full professor at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Basilicata, in Italy. He taught Silviculture and Forest Fire Control and Use, and his main research interest has been in wildfire as a social phenomenon.

Tara K. McGee is a professor in the Human Geography program at the University of Alberta, in Canada. She completed her Bachelor of Environmental Studies at the University of Waterloo (Environment and Resource Studies), and PhD (Resource Management and Environmental Studies) at the Australian National University. Since 1998, her research program has focused on the human dimensions of wildfire, including wildfire mitigation and preparedness, Indigenous peoples and wildfire, wildfire prevention, and wildfire evacuations. Dr. McGee teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in the human dimensions of hazards and social science research methods, and has written 33 papers.