Project Number: NEXTMED00016
Project Acronym: SIMMER
General Information
Project title: Strategic Integration of Operational and Legal Frameworks for Enhanced Resilience and Management of Mediterranean Wildfires
Summary
Wildfires are worsening in the Mediterranean due to longer fire seasons, and mega-fires. A key challenge is ensuring wildfire management uses science-based innovations.
SIMMER invites scientists, practitioners, and decision-makers to collaborate, share best practices to improve management. This includes understanding wildfire behavior, trends, and climate change impacts to better manage landscapes, ecosystems, and response effectiveness.
SIMMER uniquely analyzes the interplay between scientific, legal, and operationalization context to develop the cornerstone Integrated Science-Policy Framework for sustainable wildfire management. It bridges the gap between advanced technological tools and their practical application, enhancing stakeholders’ management capacity across the entire lifecycle—from preparedness to response, and recovery.
SIMMER holistic approach starts by collecting stakeholder needs, mapping existing wildfire management assets, developing maturity indicators, and identifying gaps. Next, SIMMER creates the integrated science-policy framework to address these gaps, which is tested through pilot activities. In the final phase, SIMMER produces a Knowledge Hub and Networking Platform, drafting policy recommendations, and training materials based on lessons learned.
SIMMER pilot activities in five countries involve civil protection, nature protection organizations, local authorities, and volunteers. Demonstrable tools include ecosystem-based methods like prescribed burning and grazing, AI, remote sensing, for risk assessment and early warning, drones for burn severity mapping, and community-based post-fire assessment.
SIMMER offers stakeholders mature scientific solutions, legal frameworks and operationalization protocols, benefiting decision-makers, firefighters, community leaders, and researchers. Beyond providing tools, SIMMER fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing, empowering communities to proactively protect themselves and their environment.
Project Details
- Starting date: 03/10/2025
- Duration: 36 months
- Budget NOA: € 482.266,00
- Call identifier: Interreg VI-B NEXT Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme
- Priority: A greener, low-carbon and resilient Mediterranean
- Specific objective: 2.2 (RSO2.4) – Promoting climate change adaptation and disaster risk prevention, resilience, taking into account eco-system based approaches
- Website: SIMMER Website
