The Project on Capacity Building for Ecosystem Based Disaster Risk Reduction through Sustainable Forest Management in North Macedonia
Republic of North Macedonia
10th August 2017
Skopje, Radovish, Sveti Nikole and another 1 site
December 2, 2017 to December 1, 2022
Crisis Management Center
Public Enterprise Macedonian Forests
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy
North Macedonia is located in the Balkans, with land area of about 26,000㎢and population (as of 2002) 2,080,000. According to forest fires records since 1988, there have been more than 90 forest fires cases a year in North Macedonia, making forest fires one of the most serious threats to forest ecosystems in the country. In response, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has implemented a Project on Development of Integrated System for Prevention and Early Warning of Forest Fires, from 2011 to 2014, to support North Macedonia Government to alleviate the damage caused by forest fires. The "Crisis Management Center (CMC)" was the implementing agency of this project. Through establishing North Macedonia Forest Fire Information System (MKFFIS), the project significantly helped to strengthen the capacity of North Macedonia Government in reducing disaster risk mainly from forest fires.
In recent years, natural disasters such as soil erosion, landslides, and floods have occurred more frequently in North Macedonia due to torrential rain, causing serious damage to residential areas, transportation infrastructure, and agricultural land. Based on the results of Project on Development of Integrated System for Prevention and Early Warning of Forest Fires, the Government of North Macedonia asked Japanese Government for a technical cooperation project on ‘Ecosystem-based Disaster Disk Reduction (Eco-DRR)' to alleviate damages from soil erosion, landslides, floods and others by utilizing various benefits of forest ecosystems as well as fire countermeasures.
By Eco-system based Disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-DRR) measures and activities in synergy with sustainable forest management, disaster risk of floods, landslides, soil erosion and forest fire on a long-term basis is reduced in North Macedonia.
Eco-system based Disaster Risk Reduction (Eco-DRR) model against floods, landslides, soil erosion and forest fire by utilization of multiple forest function is developed.
Output 1: National Crisis management coordination mechanism among domestic relevant institutions for prevention, early warning and rehabilitation against floods, landslides, soil erosion, and forest fire is enhanced by strengthening and expanding of MKFFIS function through introduction of new modules for torrents, landslides, erosions.
Output 2: National forest management and planning capacities for promotion of Eco-DRR are enhanced through introduction of new sub-components of protective forest, such as soil erosion prevention, water conservation, and public health forests, by functional categories of forest ecosystem.
Output 3: Execution Capacity to carry out Eco-DRR related activities is enhanced through introduction of Eco-DRR technology and improvement of seedling capacity.
Output 4: Capacity of government personnel and public awareness of local community about the Eco-DRR are improved.
Japanese side
Macedonian side