The Call to Action on Integrated Fire Management and Wildfire Resilience, issued at the Belém Climate Summit (COP30), establishes a shift from reactive fire suppression towards proactive, prevention-based fire strategies. Together with other civil society groups, RECOFTC is supporting this Call to Action, ensuring that local knowledge and capacity remain central to achieving global wildfire resilience.
Recognizing that wildfire risk is aggravated by climate change and land degradation, the call highlights the transboundary nature of fire risks, noting that "no country can address it alone". It goes on to explicitly acknowledge the role of youth, women, Indigenous Peoples and local communities in fire management, climate leadership and the stewardship of nature overall.
A major goal is to strengthen local actors and support community-based fire management (CBFiM), which recognizes that Indigenous Peoples and local communities are central to managing landscapes and reducing wildfire risks. An approach pioneered by RECOFTC, CBFiM is participatory, highlights community voices and ensures local engagement in fire management. It leverages RECOFTC’s expertise in community forestry to involve community members, local authorities and stakeholders throughout the integrated fire management process, including the preparation (review, readiness and risk reduction), response and recovery phases.