New Special Issue on Incentivising Savanna Fire Management
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A new special issue of the International Journal of Wildland Fire has been released, focusing on the critical topic: "Incentivising savanna fire management for global emissions, biodiversity conservation, and livelihood outcomes—big challenges and potential opportunities."
This collection of 21 papers explores market-based solutions to address the significant carbon fluxes and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with seasonally severe savanna fires.
Key Findings and Opportunities
The Challenge: Tropical savannas account for 70% of global burned area and global carbon emissions from biomass burning, primarily from human management activities.
The Solution: Active fire management has been shown to significantly reduce GHG emissions and sequester additional carbon in biomass and soil pools.
Proven Benefits: As demonstrated in Australian savannas, this management approach can generate tradable carbon credits, offering income and employment opportunities for Indigenous and remote communities, while also supporting biodiversity conservation.
The Scope: The papers explore the technical challenges and potential livelihood and ecological benefits of extending this successful model to other severely fire-impacted tropical savanna systems, including those in Southern Africa and South America.