Europe’s approach to wildfire governance must shift from a firefighting-focused model to a coordinated, cross-sector strategy as climate change drives larger and more destructive fires, according to new research from the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC).
The study examines how wildfire risk is managed in Italy, Greece, and Germany’s Land Brandenburg region, concluding that stronger collaboration between governments, emergency services, scientists, land managers and local communities is essential to reduce future wildfire impacts.
Researchers found that while cross-sector cooperation already exists, governance systems remain highly hierarchical and often lack effective knowledge-sharing and scientific integration.
The findings suggest that strengthening coordination throughout the full disaster management cycle could improve Europe’s resilience to increasingly severe wildfire events.
Wildfires becoming a systemic European risk
Wildfires are no longer viewed solely as natural ecological events.
Rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, changing land use and increasing socio-economic pressures are transforming them into a broader societal challenge affecting public health, infrastructure, water supplies, ecosystems, cultural heritage and rural economies.
Although European countries have invested heavily in emergency response capabilities, projections indicate that wildfire frequency, intensity and severity will continue to increase.
The researchers argue that relying primarily on suppression efforts is no longer sufficient and that prevention, preparedness, recovery and long-term adaptation must receive equal attention.
The study proposes a more integrated model of wildfire governance that connects multiple sectors and levels of government throughout the entire disaster risk management process.
Europe records sharp rise in major wildfires
Recent fire statistics underline the growing urgency of reforming wildfire governance across Europe.
During the summer of 2025, more than one million hectares of land burned across Europe, representing almost four times the area affected during the same period in 2024.
The number of fires also increased by around 60% compared with the long-term average recorded between 2006 and 2023.
The three case studies highlight the diverse challenges facing European regions.
In Greece, the Alexandroupolis wildfire of 2023 became the largest wildfire ever recorded within the European Union, burning almost 94,000 hectares during just over two weeks under severe drought, high temperatures and strong winds.
Italy continues to rank among Europe’s most wildfire-prone countries. In 2024, authorities recorded 589 fires that burned more than 82,000 hectares, more than double the area affected the previous year.
Human activity was responsible for the overwhelming majority of incidents, while natural causes accounted for only a small fraction.
Land Brandenburg demonstrates that wildfire risk extends beyond southern Europe. The region’s sandy soils, dry climate and extensive pine forests make it one of Germany’s most vulnerable landscapes.
Firefighting is further complicated by large areas containing unexploded military ordnance dating back decades.
How wildfire governance currently operates
To better understand institutional coordination, researchers analysed wildfire peer review reports and mapped the organisations responsible for managing wildfire risk.
Their analysis found that wildfire governance already involves a broad network of stakeholders, including civil protection agencies, fire and forestry services, regional governments, ministries, meteorological organisations, research institutions, cultural heritage authorities and volunteer groups.
Most relationships crossed traditional sector boundaries rather than remaining within individual organisations, demonstrating that wildfire management increasingly depends on cooperation between different disciplines.
However, governance structures were also found to be strongly centralised.
Civil protection authorities consistently acted as the primary coordinators, linking organisations that otherwise had limited interaction.
In both Italy and Greece, national civil protection agencies occupied the most influential positions within governance networks. In Land Brandenburg, these coordinating responsibilities were shared across state and federal institutions.
Scientific expertise remains underused
The research identifies cooperation and operational coordination as the strongest elements of existing governance systems.
Many partnerships are formalised through legislation, joint ministerial agreements or permanent working groups that coordinate activities during periods of elevated wildfire risk.
However, consultation, scientific advice and information exchange were significantly less common.
Researchers found that universities, research organisations and technical experts were often positioned outside the central decision-making networks, limiting opportunities for evidence-based policymaking and more effective knowledge sharing.
The study argues that integrating scientific expertise more directly into governance structures would improve risk assessment, planning and long-term resilience while supporting more adaptive responses to evolving wildfire threats.
A framework for strengthening wildfire governance
Beyond evaluating existing systems, the researchers propose a practical method that other countries can adopt to assess their own wildfire governance arrangements.
By using structured peer review reports alongside social network analysis, governments can identify influential organisations, detect weak institutional links and uncover coordination gaps without requiring extensive new data collection.
According to the study, this diagnostic approach offers policymakers a practical way to strengthen governance networks before major wildfire events occur.
As climate change continues to increase wildfire risk across Europe, the researchers conclude that building stronger partnerships between emergency services, policymakers, scientists and local communities will be essential.
More integrated wildfire governance, supported by better knowledge sharing and cross-sector collaboration, is likely to play a central role in reducing future wildfire impacts and improving resilience across the continent.
