MINISTRY OF DEVELOPMENT GENERAL SECRETARIAT FOR RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY	EUROPEAN COMISSION EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND

Project Title:Standardization of Forest Fuels and Fuel Management Methodology in Attica

Contractor of the program is NAGREF – Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems and Technology of Forest Products. Collaborators are ANKO SA (Syggrou Av. 44, 11742) and AGILTECH SA (Tzavella 70 St., 154 51 N. Psychiko). Duration of the program is from September 2006 until March 2008. Goal of the project is to set the basis for the utilization of new technologies, namely the prediction of forest fire behavior with the use of special models, better prevention (e.g. fire fighting planning, works of danger reduction coming from vegetation, fire danger prediction) and fire suppression in Attiki.

The project is focused on the standardization of Forest Fuels in Attiki, the conduction of a practical methodology for the creation of special regional fuel models, and the creation of a fuel modeling procedure automation system and Decision Support System for Fuel Management and the reduction of fire danger, better protection of the environment and the improvement of local citizens security. The proper use of the results concerns all of the involving partners in forest management, conduction of anti fire plans and forest fire suppression.

The creation of typical and special models of fuels will encourage and facilitate the use of modern technology in the field of forest fires focused on fire behavior prediction under various environmental conditions (weather, topography) and fuel models. Furthermore, the DSS that will be created will be the basic tool in fire prevention with the facilitation of the planning and the higher effectiveness in managing the forest biomass.

Outline of the program:

Creation of representative fuel models Potential of development of specialized fuel models Fire behavior results for various models Documentation of forest fire behavior in Attiki Development of DSS for Forest Fuel management Utilization of project results