{"id":2994,"date":"2023-08-18T08:27:39","date_gmt":"2023-08-18T08:27:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fireadapt.eu\/?p=2994"},"modified":"2023-08-18T10:21:07","modified_gmt":"2023-08-18T10:21:07","slug":"collectives-respond-global-problems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fireadapt.eu\/en\/collectives-respond-global-problems\/","title":{"rendered":"“Creating collectives to respond to global problems”: Juli\u00e1n and Jonathan (PCF) on their secondment at FAN:"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

FIRE-ADAPT is funded by a programme of the Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie Actions<\/a> (MSCA) that allows the exchange of personnel between partner organisations through secondments, i.e. work and research stays. Recently, Juli\u00e1n Cuevas and Jonathan Troncho, two members of staff of the Pau Costa Foundation<\/a> (PCF) team,  did a one-month secondment at the Fundaci\u00f3n Amigos de la Naturaleza<\/a> (FAN), where Carlos Pinto<\/a>, Project Manager, hosted them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juli\u00e1n works in Training and Operations at PCF instructing in certain topics within Integrated Fire Management (IFM) and, in the case of emergencies, advising and assisting them. Jonathan is a Project Technician dedicated to projects on wildfire risk management, such as Fire Flocks<\/a>, which involves understanding both territorial and forest management and the different phases of the emergency response. In this interview, Juli\u00e1n and Jonathan tell us about their experience in Bolivia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From left to right: Juli\u00e1n Cuevas (PCF), Jonathan Troncho (PCF), Juan Pita (AECID) and Carlos Pinto (FAN). Source: FAN\/Andres Unterladstaetter.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What was the objective of your secondment in Bolivia?<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jonathan:<\/em><\/mark> Basically, the same objectives of FIRE-ADAPT:\u00a0 exchange<\/strong> knowledge between different contexts and realities at a global scale, and share<\/strong> points of view and experiences around wildfire management. Wildfires today, or the problems associated with them, are a global phenomenon<\/strong> to which we must respond together<\/strong>. As a fire community, we must try to network<\/strong> and build bridges<\/strong> between different realities. That will lead us to be more efficient <\/strong>when we have to collaborate<\/strong> in an emergency, as we have recently seen in Canada, Chile, and in so many places. Also, as a foundation, we went to develop new points of view<\/strong> and expand our knowledge<\/strong>. In short, contribute, receive and share.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juli\u00e1n:<\/em> <\/mark>Yes, and all this within the framework <\/strong>of IFM<\/strong> in other realities and different countries <\/strong>that have a common link <\/strong>that, unfortunately, is the same problem at the macroscale level: the context of climate change<\/strong>, which is what unites all the countries that participate in this project. In addition, each of the countries has its own problems at a microscale level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What activities did you carry out?<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juli\u00e1n: <\/mark><\/em>One of them was a foundation course on prescribed burns<\/strong> that we taught for a week in beautiful facilities in Choch\u00eds, a town within the municipality of Robor\u00e9, in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.  There we treated in an integrated way all the aspects involved in IFM and the use of fire, in this case technical fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A demonstration of a prescribed burn in Choch\u00eds. Source: FAN\/Andres Unterladstaetter.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jonathan:<\/mark><\/em> We also accompanied <\/strong>FAN, foresters and other colleagues in the identification and delimitation of strategic management zones<\/strong>, which include what would be the strategic management points in Spain (puntos estrat\u00e9gicos de gesti\u00f3n<\/em>, PEG), but adapted to a reality of IFM; we participated in training<\/strong> activities to local communities and staff of the City Council of Robor\u00e9; and we were integrating ourselves into the reality of the communities<\/strong>. It was about understanding how they work and what their situation is to then be able to better direct future actions<\/strong>, have a clear idea about the entire context of the project and thus be able to translate it in the best way intothe deliverables <\/strong>for the European Commission. At the end of the day, we sought to integrate and understand, and, within that, we did the burning course and other trainings, we visited areas, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juli\u00e1n: <\/em><\/mark>We visited the Chiquitano Dry Forest<\/strong>, which is a tropical dry forest that is a fire-sensitive ecosystem<\/strong> located in the Chiquitan\u00eda. Specifically, within it, the Tucavaca Nature Reserve is sensitive. We also went to the Pantanal<\/strong>, another totally different ecosystem that is fire-dependent<\/strong>. So, we are talking about two ecosystems that need fire differently and with different problems and social and political contexts that must be considered when managing<\/strong>. Seeing this helped us to open our minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chiquitano Dry Forest. Source: FAN\/Andres Unterladstaetter.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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National Park and Natural Area of Integrated Management (ANMI) Pantanal of Otuquis.<\/a> Source: FAN\/Andres Unterladstaetter.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For what purpose are communities in Bolivia trained?<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jonathan:<\/mark><\/em> The political situation there is delicate, and people can’t rely solely on the emergency system managed by the national government. To overcome this reality, they have opted for the communities and carry out manejo comunitario del fuego<\/em><\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>(community-based fire management). It is the people of the territory<\/strong> themselves, trained and voluntarily, who respond to the emergency<\/strong>. They have tools, personal protective equipment, training programmes, etc. In some ways they depend on organisations and structures of higher status, but the muscle of the response is the community<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juli\u00e1n: <\/mark><\/em>That’s right. Communities are like first responders<\/strong>. In this case FAN, together with instructors from DIRENA (Direcci\u00f3n de Recursos Naturales), trains them and, in the case of a wildfire, as they are the ones who are closest, they are the first to respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Training on community-based fire management. Quitunuqui\u00f1a community. Source: FAN\/Andres Unterladstaetter.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Do communities also use fire as a management tool?<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juli\u00e1n:<\/em><\/mark> For them, fire is one more tool available to manage the landscape or the territory; it is part of their toolbox<\/strong>. Something that is intended to be done is to use the term zonas estrat\u00e9gicas de manejo<\/em><\/strong>, on which we have advanced and which has evolved from the Myers triangle of IFM and will include zonas estrat\u00e9gicas de gesti\u00f3n<\/em> (like the PEGs in Spain), zonas estrat\u00e9gicas de capacitaci\u00f3n<\/em> and zonas estrat\u00e9gicas de protecci\u00f3n<\/em>. The idea is to manage using fire, if it is most appropriate, within these zonas estrat\u00e9gicas de protecci\u00f3n<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is where the communities come in to manage their wildland-urban interface<\/strong> plans<\/strong>, where the village is settled, <\/strong>and those forest exploitations<\/strong> of which they live; or for farmers <\/strong>and shepherds <\/strong>to use fire as a tool<\/strong> around their properties so that these don\u2019t burn, or within them to improve the palatability, that is the quality of the pastures, which is one of the utilities of prescribed fire. But there are farmers who can\u2019t burn their pastures because their cows wouldn\u00b4t have nothing to eat. Then, you must attend<\/strong> to each of the small demands to try to reach an understanding between all local actors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jonathan: <\/mark><\/em>In addition, there is a lack of resources that doesn\u00b4t only happen at community level<\/strong>, but also at national level<\/strong>: there are no aerial firefighting resources, organisations don\u2019t have vehicles, foresters don\u2019t have money for fuel, etc. This shouldn\u2019t be understood as a criticism, but as a reality that colleagues in Bolivia must deal with every day. In any case, it\u2019s key to build bridges<\/strong> and create a robust and empowered collaborative fabric<\/strong> to deal with territorial management, including the emergency response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What areas of knowledge did you explore?<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jonathan:<\/mark><\/em> During the course we talked about aspects of fire ecology, prescribed burns and use of technical fire, planning, safety, organisation, logistics, research, and human factor among other topics that arose naturally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juli\u00e1n: <\/em><\/mark>I would also highlight the social sciences<\/strong>, art<\/strong>, and culture. <\/strong>We\u00b4ve seen social and cultural aspects that we didn\u2019t know coming from Europe and that directly affect landscape management <\/strong>at various scales. For example, at the cultural level, the own forest exploitation by the communities that we aren\u00b4t doing here because we don\u00b4t have the same trees. For example, the communities grow the almendra<\/em> chiquitana<\/em>, which is very good and very rich in proteins and amino acids, and from there they make money. They also have another tree whose sap they use to make creams. In short, they live from different types of exploitation and that caught my attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continuing with the cultural aspects<\/strong>, we also had the opportunity to see some cave paintings to which the Director of the Risk Management Area of the Mayor’s Office of Robor\u00e9, Fernando Mendoza, took us to learn about some of Bolivia’s history<\/strong>. We were fascinated because that’s where we saw the first impression of a map<\/strong>. They already knew how to move and orient themselves from symbols painted on the wall of “here there\u00b4s water”, “here there\u00b4s hunting”, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Images of the first impression of a map in Chorro de San Luis II, Robor\u00e9. Source: PCF.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What have you taken home from your secondment?<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jonathan:<\/mark><\/em> Apart from, without a doubt, <\/strong>the personal experience<\/strong>, which is very heavy and possible thanks to the fact that work allows you to know other countries, cultures, people and realities, as a foundation <\/strong>we bring a much broader vision<\/strong> than we took there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Going to countries with such different climatic, social and other kinds of realities enriches you as a professional <\/strong>a lot. <\/strong>The job that Juli\u00e1n and I have now, and all the colleagues who will go on secondments later, is to transfer this vision to the rest of the Foundation, <\/strong>to be able to act as a speaker <\/strong>of what we saw and lived. In the end not everyone can do secondments, <\/em>but it\u00b4s good that we grow both personally and as an organisation. After all, that is the objective of FIRE-ADAPT: to form collectives<\/strong> or expand collective visions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, we took more than we contributed<\/strong>. We talked about courses on burns and many very interesting things, but in the end, being able to be there and see all that… either you live it or it’s impossible<\/strong>. Reading it, no matter how well written it is, you will not be able to take it with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juli\u00e1n: <\/em><\/mark>I agree with what Jonathan says. We also took an approach to IFM<\/strong> that we don\u00b4t have in Spain and Europe. Here there is, above all, prevention. I\u2019ve been to different countries, and I have seen that IFM is managed differently depending on the country and its reality, which is based on microrealities<\/strong>. Communities<\/strong> have a reality, and not all communities have the same reality; farmers, shepherds and foresters<\/strong> each have another, and unifying all that is a real challenge. I\u2019ve taken the approach they have there: how they do it, work and get ahead despite the difficulties they have, especially political. They pull forward day by day. The reality here in Europe is very different, and it would be very interesting to recover IFM or strategic management zones looking for another approach adapted to this reality, and that we intend to put together into some kind of guidelines<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Aerial view of the Quitunuqui\u00f1a community. Source: FAN\/Andres Unterladstaetter.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What has this experience brought to FIRE-ADAPT?<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juli\u00e1n: <\/mark><\/em>This has been the beginning of an index<\/strong> to generate guidelines on capacity building for IFM<\/strong> that seek to integrate all the items that make up IFM (approaches, policies, legislation, etc.) finding links or connections<\/strong> that allow working in any of the countries involved in the project. That\u00b4s the challenge<\/strong> really:  to find an index that allows us to work encompassing the whole compendium of things that IFM has, and then find these links to be able to replicate it in other countries and put it in common. That is the challenge and there we are, just beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More about your experience in Bolivia<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something about Bolivia that caught your attention <\/mark><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jonathan:<\/mark><\/em> Undoubtedly, the cultural aspect<\/strong>, which they have very rooted. In addition, there are many different cultures <\/strong>with radically different ways of living and managing the territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juli\u00e1n:<\/em><\/mark> Besides, people’s attitude<\/strong>. Whatever happens, they’re always joking<\/strong>, and I loved that.\u00a0 When they must be serious, they are serious, but within that seriousness, to play it down, everyone jokes. I loved that because if you’re with a moderately serious problem and you’re talking to them, suddenly they tell a joke, you laugh, and the problem seems less of a problem<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any new words you have learned<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapi\u00e9<\/em><\/strong>, thank you<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Macruca<\/em>,<\/strong> muscle soreness<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chochis<\/em><\/strong>, fury of the wind (we thought this one was very beautiful).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Bolivian meal that you liked<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juli\u00e1n:<\/mark><\/em> The chicharr\u00f3n de cola de Lagarto<\/em> that we ate in Puerto Su\u00e1rez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jonathan: <\/mark><\/em>The kjaras<\/em> of Hotel Churapa in Santiago de Chiquitos. They are a typical Friday dish. I remember arriving tired from the whole week, eating a plate of kjaras<\/em> in good company and ending up good as new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A memory of Bolivia to keep forever<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Juli\u00e1n: <\/mark><\/em>The Torre de Choch\u00eds or Muela del Diablo, a very cool rock formation that is an icon of Choch\u00eds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jonathan:<\/mark><\/em> El Port\u00f3n, a very beautiful place to which there is a short but intense climb and with stunning views where you lose your gaze. We recommend going up at sunset, when the parabas <\/em>(or macaws) return to the nest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Part of the team that exchanged knowledge and experiences, during the secondment of Juli\u00e1n Cuevas and Jonathan Troncho (PCF) at FAN, enjoying the views in El Port\u00f3n. Source: PCF.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FIRE-ADAPT is funded by a programme of the Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) that allows the exchange of personnel between partner organisations through secondments, i.e. work and research stays. Recently, Juli\u00e1n Cuevas and Jonathan Troncho, two members of staff of the Pau Costa Foundation (PCF) team,  did a one-month secondment at the Fundaci\u00f3n Amigos de la […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3032,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sin-categorizar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fireadapt.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2994","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fireadapt.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fireadapt.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireadapt.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireadapt.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2994"}],"version-history":[{"count":47,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireadapt.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2994\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3310,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireadapt.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2994\/revisions\/3310"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireadapt.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fireadapt.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireadapt.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fireadapt.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}