THE INSTITUTE AT THE MEETING OF THE LANDSCAPE FIRE MANAGEMENT NETWORK
A representative of the Institute for Protection and Ecology of the Republic of Srpska, Goran Šobot, Head of the Education Department, participated in the meeting of the Landscape Fire Management Network, held on 21 April 2026 in Banja Luka.
The meeting officially launched a participatory process for developing national public policy guidelines for landscape fire management in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a particular focus on the Republic of Srpska. The process brought together around 20 representatives of relevant institutions and organisations involved in landscape fire management and public policy development.
In their opening remarks, Slavko Stupar from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Srpska and Cvetan Nikolovski, Team Leader of the Landscape Fire Management in the Western Balkans Programme, highlighted the increasing complexity of fire risks and the need for coordinated, cross-sectoral action. The importance of the Network as a platform for continuous dialogue, exchange of experience and strengthening institutional cooperation was particularly emphasised.
During the meeting, the proposed structure and methodology for developing the guidelines were presented by Aleksandar Draganić, a local public policy expert from the Belgrade Open School. Participants provided practical suggestions and pointed out the specific features of the institutional and operational context, in order to ensure that the future guidelines are applicable and aligned with the real needs of the system.
The meeting was not an isolated activity, but rather the beginning of a broader consultative process. The collected suggestions and comments will serve as the basis for the next phase of drafting the document, with further involvement of stakeholders planned in the coming months.
The future guidelines are expected to contribute to a more integrated approach to landscape fire management, covering prevention, preparedness, fire response and post-fire recovery, as well as strengthening cooperation among the institutions responsible for this area.
The meeting was organised within the framework of the Landscape Fire Management in the Western Balkans Programme, financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and coordinated by Farmahem – Skopje as the Regional Executive Agency, with backstopping support from Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation.