Jaume Minguell (Barbens, 1979) is a forestry engineer and, for the past three years, has been the head of the wildfire prevention strategy at the Barcelona Provincial Council. Leading the OTPMIFDA has allowed him to tread much of the region, and he has unequivocally observed the importance of preserving the agroforestry mosaic to prevent forests from burning.

Densely wooded areas tend to succumb quickly to the fire, while landscapes where olive groves, almond trees, vineyards and cereals mix with forests, meadows and pastures are better able to withstand the relentless advance of flames. For this reason, Minguell has supported BCN Smart Rural from its inception, a project that, among other goals, works on the protection and management of agroforestry spaces.

 

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This summer, 1,973 hectares were burned in the province of Barcelona. How do you rate it?

Burning a single hectare is negative: we work so that the forest does not burn. But if we compare it with years similar to this one, we see that it is a rather good year. Especially with the prospects we had: it's been a summer with many days in a row of high wildfire risk and two extreme heat waves and we were seriously concerned about the possibility of a fire affecting ten or twenty thousand hectares. The Catalan province with the greatest water stress was, precisely, Barcelona, and the risk of a large forest fire being declared has been very present and very real in recent months.

 

As we discovered in the first BCN Smart Rural Data Bite, since the late fifties, the province of Barcelona has increased its forest surface by 52,500 hectares, an area equivalent to the extension of the Barcelonès and the Maresme counties, and currently includes 514,000 hectares. However, we lost 120,500 hectares of farmland. Do you think the reduction in agricultural and livestock activity is related to the frequency and intensity of large forest fires? What role do farmers and shepherds play in preventing forest fires?

The truth is that I cannot assure you that this change in land use will increase the frequency of forest fires, since the activities carried out in agricultural areas also carry a certain risk, but what is clear is that they alter its intensity. The farmer, the forester and the shepherd reduce the fuel load of the forests and generate discontinuity, either at the landscape or stand scale. And, under certain circumstances, they can get a fire to change its behaviour and allow a more effective attack by extinguishing agents. In other words, the change in land use clearly influences the magnitude of forest fires and will have effects on the type of fires that will occur in the future. The less agroforestry mosaic we have, the larger the fires we will suffer.

 

«The change in land use clearly influences the magnitude of forest fires and will have effects on the type of fires that will occur in the future» Jaume Minguell

 

According to scientists, another element that will cause forest fires to explode in Mediterranean countries is global warming. What will the future fires look like?

Rather than pulling out the crystal ball to try to guess what tomorrow's fires will look like, we prefer to study the fires that are happening right now elsewhere on the planet. We have all seen the catastrophes caused by the fires in California, Canada, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Portugal or even what we suffered this summer in central Spain. What we are trying to do is incorporate changes in the prevention infrastructure to be able to deal with these large uncontrolled fires when they occur in our homes. Having said that, we should also not lose sight of the fact that small and medium fires will not disappear: we will continue to have them along with large ones. And so our strategy is not so much to change the way we deal with new fires, but to implement measures that add to what we already do now.

 

What measures are being taken and what strategies will be prioritized to prevent big wildfires next summer?

Large wildfires are catastrophic for the people in their path, destroying property, farmland, animals, infrastructure and landscapes, so they are of great concern to us. But we must think that big fires start with small fires, so we must first promote all those actions that prevent a fire from occurring and, if it is already there, we must try to prevent the fire from growing and spreading. Our Forest Fire Information and Surveillance Plan (PVI) is a program that we have been implementing for twenty-six years and which has the specific purpose of making users of the natural environment aware of the activities that involve risks and deter possible imprudence. This device works together with 273 councils and 125 Forest Defence Groups (ADF), among other administrations and entities, and includes the deployment of surveillance units, watchtowers and cameras to quickly detect the smallest sign of fire. We also invest a lot of resources to try to have sufficient infrastructure in the territory so that firefighters and ADFs can quickly access these fires and extinguish them, and this involves keeping in good condition a series of roads and water points that are absolutely decisive in extinguishing fires. A further step in this strategy is to identify the strategic areas of the province where forest management actions must be prioritized to lower the level of fuel and prevent large forest fires. Delimiting these Priority Management Areas (AGP) and being able to carry out the appropriate forestry work means that, in the event of a fire, opportunities can be generated to put it out. Another very important line of our prevention strategy is to help the real architects of the landscape so that they can keep it in good condition. I am referring to the farmers, ranchers and other people dedicated to the production and processing of local food, since they are the ones who preserve the agroforestry mosaic with the very dynamics of their activity. People doing extensive livestock farming or reclaiming old farmland allow us to build a type of landscape that is more resilient to large wildfires.

 

«People who make extensive livestock farming or dedicate themselves to reclaiming old agricultural fields allow us to build a type of landscape that is more resilient to large forest fires» Jaume Minguell

 

We acknowledge that preserving and enhancing the agroforestry mosaic is crucial. One of the key initiatives of BCN Smart Rural is precisely the creation of open spaces within the forest, which are then maintained through extensive livestock farming. What are the specific advantages that grazing animals bring to the forest?

The extensive livestock farming has always been one of the great managers of the fuel of the forest spaces, but in the last decades, we have suffered a very significant setback in this activity. And it's a shame, because extensive livestock farming plays a momentous role in fire prevention. This trend should be reversed, especially given the forest area of Catalonia. To prevent the forest from burning, it must be worked. And with 65% of the forest area, it is unrealistic to think that we will be able to manage it without a sustainable economic model that guarantees the continuity of the agrosilvopastoral sector. In fact, to better prevent fires, we not only need to maintain the livestock farms that currently exist in the territory but more would be needed. But this increase will not occur until there are no more consumers buying the products from the extensive livestock farming. The consumer has the ultimate power to shape the landscape.

 

«The consumer has the ultimate power to shape the landscape» Jaume Minguell

 

Another of the key actions of the BCN Smart Rural is to promote the production and use of biomass as a source of renewable energy. This reflects your office's support for the new commitments made by the Barcelona Provincial Council to fight against climate change. Can you tell us about any other initiatives being carried out in this area?

We have been promoting the use of biomass as a renewable energy resource for some time for the simple reason that all the activities that allow us to remove fuel from the forest and keep it clean help us prevent forest fires. But we also encourage it because we are a country of sun, a country of wind, and, although we often forget, we are also a country of wood. And wood, if it is local, produces much more sustainable energy than that from non-renewable resources such as fossil fuels. For this reason, from Barcelona Provincial Council we help small and medium municipalities to install biomass boilers in their equipment and we work to encourage companies as well. But, apart from biomass, we promote many other measures to mitigate climate change, conserve biodiversity and prevent fires. We have, for example, Parc a Taula, a sustainable development program that highlights the landscape, natural and cultural values of the food produced within the natural parks managed by Barcelona Provincial Council. And, to enhance and promote the most unique products of the province, we have the Earth Products Network. In other words, we devote a lot of effort to creating a culture of consumption that is determined to buy food that helps prevent forest fires, increase the biodiversity of the forest and manage it sustainably.

 

«We are a country of sun, a country of wind, and, although we often forget, we are also a country of wood» Jaume Minguell

 

This summer's fires have released thousands of tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Which forest management and regeneration actions are most effective in improving the carbon sequestration potential of woodlands? And to neutralize carbon emissions from large fires?

It is a complex issue because, at present, the methodology for quantifying and evaluating carbon capture by forests is inaccurate. It is because forests are living and therefore variable systems. Even so, science has made great progress and we already know, for example, that young and growing trees are the ones that sequester the most emissions. Having said that, the climate emergency forces us to lock up the carbon fixed in the wood and, in this sense, it is very important, on the one hand, that our forests don't burn, and, on the other, that we make sustainable use of wood. If, for example, we use wood in construction, we manage to retain carbon for a long time and, incidentally, consolidate a local, renewable, warm resource with a production process that has a much lower environmental impact than that of steel or concrete.

 

According to a recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, it is vital to manage forests effectively due to problems related to soil erosion and the growing water demand. The study emphasizes that trees play an essential role in regulating the quantity, quality, and flow of water, and also help to prevent soil and coastal erosion, flooding, and other related issues. How is your office addressing these challenges?
 
Water availability is regulated at the level of the river basin, not so much the forest, but trees indeed play an essential role in the water cycle and we need to be more aware of it. We all know that trees minimize soil erosion, and in fact, reforestation is one of the most important actions that has historically been carried out in watersheds with wetlands. But trees are also big water demanders, so if the climate situation reduces the availability of water for drinking, irrigation, etc., and the restrictions on the use of this vital element are increased, we will have to reflect on the need to reduce the tree density of the forests so that more water can reach the river basins. Finding the balance between the density of trees in the forest and their water demand is a very important aspect that will gain more weight in the future.

 

There is a common perception that cutting down trees is always detrimental to the environment. However, is it always like this? Are there cases where the selective felling of trees can actually benefit biodiversity and promote the restoration of ecosystems, in addition to preventing forest fires? Before any trees are cut down, is it important to consider certain factors, such as age, species, and degree of protection? Are there any trees that should not be touched under any circumstances?  

Today, cutting down trees in the forest is hyper-regulated in Catalonia: there is regulation, control, inspection and a whole series of coercive measures to avoid breaking the law. However, the fact that it is very controlled does not mean that sometimes it is necessary to intervene, and this implies a goal and planning. Doing forest management is not getting to a forest and starting to cut down trees: doing forest management is understanding your goal and taking the necessary steps to achieve it. And the goal of our office is to protect the forests of the province de Barcelona and prevent them from burning, so we focus mainly on reducing their fuel load. But we also plan with conservation criteria for natural spaces and consider their ecological, cultural, social and economic values, so that, in addition to protecting certain species of trees, we try to encourage their growth. To improve the biodiversity of our forests, we leave dead trees standing and dead wood on the ground, we respect the breeding seasons of birds and the microhabitats of insects, among other measures. In the end, citizens must understand that our forests have always been managed, that they are the way they are because of this historical management, and that, if we abandon them, there is a high probability that they will burn. For this reason, society must decide which is the priority use of each forest and experts must decide which are the most appropriate actions to achieve this goal. And we have to do this considering that, in Catalonia, 75% of the forests are privately owned. Therefore, either one strongly believes in the way of imposition, which is not my case, or believes in the way of the agreement, which it is. I think the territory should have a clear pact between citizens and property so that the general interest is respected and reasonable and sustainable forest management can be developed within the regulatory framework.

 

«The public must understand that our forests have always been managed, that they are the way they are because of this historical management, and that, if we abandon them, there is a high probability that they will burn» Jaume Minguell

 

This summer, to reduce the risk of forest fires, the public has been advised to avoid visiting natural parks. Do you believe that nature tourism poses a threat to the forests, or do you think that tourism can actually complement agro-livestock and forestry practices in terms of protecting the land?

Let's go bit by bit, because one thing does not remove the other. I think it is positive to diversify agricultural activity and rural tourism can become an interesting economic complement. In addition, it helps people appreciate the importance of the primary sector and reconnect with productive activities that are often far removed from their everyday reality. That said, any action has consequences, and if the potential risks are not well studied, problems can arise. In the case of forest spaces, the study of the risks may mean that in special circumstances we decide to implement extraordinary measures and, as happened this summer, we have to ask the public not to visit the forests on very specific days. But, under normal circumstances, bans are not necessary, because most people go to the forest civilly. What needs to be done is to educate the percentage of people who have not yet developed this sensitivity and do not treat the forest with enough respect, in addition to regulating the activities allowed in natural spaces so that everyone can enjoy them in an orderly and safe manner.

 

Knowing how to behave in a natural environment is not the same as knowing how to behave in the presence of a fire. Do you believe that more information campaigns should be organized on this topic? Do citizens have sufficient knowledge about fires?

In this country, we have been carrying out massive campaigns warning of the danger of forest fires in the summer for many decades and this means that, in general, the public has a good knowledge of their risks, but perhaps the information and awareness of the population should be improved who lives more directly with this threat. I am thinking, above all, of people who live in housing estates located within very continuous wooded masses and in territories with a high risk of forest fire, and I think it would be good for them to know exactly what they should do in case a fire is declared near their housing For example, they should know perfectly which is the meeting point of the urbanization, which is their evacuation route, when they must leave and when not, and how they must behave during confinement. Many people are not sure whether they should wait for instructions from rural officers, firefighters or police officers or whether they can take the initiative, and they are also not sure how they can protect their home: if you need to turn off the gas before you go out, turn down the blinds, place wet towels at the foot of the doors, fill the bathtub and sinks with water, etc.

 

And, from your office, do take any actions on this matter? In addition to implementing forest fire prevention measures, do you educate the public on self-protection?

A couple of years ago we ran a campaign with rural agents under the slogan "If the fire comes, are you ready?" which informed the residents of the urbanizations of precisely this. We also make a great effort with the town councils to ensure that both the protection strips around the perimeters of the housing estates and other recommendations regarding access, the electricity network, etc. are implemented. But when you work on personal risk issues, you always feel like you should be doing more. In this sense, I think that all the administrations should work in a synchronized way so that the people who live more directly in danger of forest fire understand what self-protection measures they can take if a disaster occurs. No alarmism, but it is essential to know how to act during emergencies.

 

— Lola Mayenco —