Flanders, the Netherlands and Germany have agreed to strengthen co-operation on preventing and tackling wildfires, following a ministerial meeting in the Netherlands on Wednesday.
Jaimi van Essen, Dutch Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature, North Rhine-Westphalia Minister of Agriculture and Consumer Protection Silke Gorißen, and Flemish Environment Minister Jo Brouns met firefighters, nature managers and other experts to discuss the growing wildfire threat.
The ministers reached a series of co-operation agreements.
One partnership, between Flanders and the Netherlands, will create a joint approach to wildfire management, bringing together land managers, fire services and the municipalities concerned.
Another project will focus on adapting to climate change, including through earlier detection of fires and better cross-border co-ordination.
A third initiative, called Fire-Watch, aims to install smart cameras at strategic locations to spot fires quickly after they break out.
“A wildfire does not stop at the border, so our response must not stop there either,” Brouns said.
He said fire services, nature managers and public authorities needed to know one another before an incident occurred, so they could share information quickly and deploy staff and resources without delay. Preventing fires from spiralling out of control was equally important, he added.
Brouns also said Flanders was investing in faster fire detection, more suitable management of natural areas, and better preparedness for drought and extreme weather.
“The agreements reached today allow us to strengthen this approach together with the Netherlands and Germany,” he said.
