This year marks two years since the largest fire in Slovenia, the consequences of which will be visible in the Karst for many years to come. In fighting fires, as well as in monitoring remedial measures, we want to develop common solutions to prevent wildfires and strengthen preparedness to respond to them. This was also the main reason for the creation of the KARST-SAFE project Preventive Measures for a Safe Karst, co-financed by the European Union under the Interreg VI-A Italy Slovenia programme.
At the beginning of June, the Municipalities of Sežana and Komen already held a workshop with the local population, where we formulated a wider range of proposals for measures. As a next step, we are now examining the possibility of their implementation within the framework of the existing legal bases. To this end, on 12 June 2024, we organised a cross-sectoral workshop, to which we invited professional institutions in the fields of forestry, agriculture, protection and rescue, environment and climate, protection of natural and cultural heritage, and other stakeholders.
We are pleased that all invitees have expressed interest in participating in this step. This cross-sectoral workshop brought together 15 key participants from Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, Slovenia Forest Service, Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief. We are pleased that we have succeeded in highlighting key measures in the debate, while at the same time translating their importance into discussions and the creation of legal bases at national level; in particular in the new Regulation on Fire Protection in the Natural Environment and rural development programmes.
Talks with representatives of the fields of environment and climate, as well as protection of natural and cultural heritage, are still planned in the coming weeks.
After the completion of the workshops at the local and national level in Slovenia and Italy, the project partners will include the most appropriate proposals in the preparation of the Cross-border Action Plan for the Implementation of Fire Protection Prevention Measures. The Action Plan will form the basis for the preparation of a call for proposals for the implementation of these measures worth EUR 195,000.
