Action Against Forest Fires and Depopulation on the Balearic Islands

In a Mediterranean context marked by rising temperatures, irregular rainfall and increasing human pressure on the natural environment, risk management for the forest landscape plays a strategic role. The Balearic Islands, due to their high exposure to climate change, are facing extreme conditions more and more often, including large forest fires.

The project will see work carried out along critical city-forest belts and in areas of high ecological importance, such as the Tramuntana mountain range and the Llevant Peninsula. This includes the creation of security strips, strategic fuel management points, perimeter fencing against plant-eating animals and maintenance of infrastructure such as forest roads and watchtowers.

One of the main goals is to improve groundwater recharge capacity, thus restoring the functionality of ecosystems through adaptive forestry and protecting natural regeneration. It also seeks to improve the efficiency of water use in firefighting by revising and enhancing collection points.

Beyond the physical work, there are plans to hire environmental informants in Mallorca, Menorca and the Pitiüses. Their task will be to boost public awareness of the risk of fire in residential areas close to forests, and to promote self-protection measures and a culture of prevention. The project will be implemented over three years, with a total budget of more than €3 million.