On March 15, the Barcelona Provincial Council presented to the Consell d'Mayors of Maresme the actions carried out in 2023 and those that will be carried out in 2024 to prevent the possibility of a forest fire as much as possible and, in the event of a fire, minimize its effects. In total, the corporation invests close to 1.3 million euros between 2023 and 2024 in the municipalities of the Maresme region in terms of forest fire prevention.
The economic and technical support of the Barcelona Provincial Council takes the form of three lines of action: preparing the territory to face the risk of forest fires with support for strategic forest management, updating the municipal Forest Fire Prevention Plan, conservation of roads and water points and the consolidation of the infrastructure of the municipal forest fire prevention plan; improve the protection of people and property with forestry projects and works to open municipal strips and plots in urbanizations and population centers; and reduce the risk of forest fires by informing the population, discouraging reckless behavior and removing spills.
Between 2023 and 2024, the Provincial Council will have granted the Maresme region about 337,000 euros for the maintenance of roads and water supply points and infrastructure consolidation and will have drawn up nine forest fire prevention plans (Alella, Cabrera de Mar , Cabrils, Mataró, Premià de Dalt, Tiana, Dosrius, Sant Cebrià de Vallalta and Sant Vicenç de Montalt).
In this same period (2023-2024), in Maresme different actions will have been carried out in the urban-forest area to minimize the effects on people and property in the event of a fire. These works, worth around 332,000 euros, are subsidized by the Barcelona Provincial Council.
In addition, during 2023, 195,000 euros were allocated to 97 hectares of forestry actions in strategic areas for the fight against large forest fires and management of areas affected by natural disturbances, with the help of the forest owners associations of Montnegre i el Corredor and La Serralada Central Coast. By 2024, aid of 411,000 euros is planned for the entire scope of these associations.
The Forest Fire Prevention and Surveillance Plan (PVI) of the Provincial Council of Barcelona launched a new model in 2023 in the Alt Penedès, Garraf and Vallès Occidental with the greater participation of forest protection groups (ADF). This year, it continues to be deployed in Anoia, Baix Llobregat, Barcelonès and Maresme to adapt the Plan to the new situation resulting from the drought and the effects of climate change, taking into account the territorial particularities.
This year, the corporation is extending economic and technical support to the ADFs of Garraf, Baix Llobregat, Alt Penedès, Anoia, Maresme, Vallès Occidental and Barcelonés until May 1 so that the surveillance operation can begin earlier in these regions.
The actions of the Barcelona Provincial Council in matters of forest fire prevention respond to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) number 13 “Climate action” and number 15 “Life on land”. The 17 SDGs were proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on September 25, 2015 and are part of the global agenda for 2030. The Barcelona Provincial Council assumes their fulfillment and deploys its action to support the local governments of the province in accordance to these SDGs.
