Bulgaria-Turkey cross-border region teams up to prevent forest fires

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The municipality of Dimitrovgrad is providing accurate prevention, at a high level, through the successful implementation of the PREVENT project and is improving the quality of life of its citizens.Ivo Dimov – Mayor of Dimitrovgrad MunicipalityWildfires devastated the region in 2016. To mitigate the risk of future wildfires and other disasters, both man-made and natural, the EU-funded PREVENT project developed and implemented a far-sighted management solution.Focus on preventionAt the core of the project was the construction of an automatic observatory tower in Dimitrovgrad. The high-tech tower provides the ongoing monitoring needed to prevent fires. From the tower’s fully equipped control centre, authorities receive a warning signal that a potential forest fire has been detected. The tower can  monitor a 26 km radius.PREVENT installed an early detection system for preventing floods on the region’s key rivers, along with air pollution and other environmental effects caused by climate change. Located in Uzunkopru, the Flood Prevention Information System uses specialised software to deliver real-time water monitoring data.PREVENT is backed by a cross-border network. In addition to managing the monitoring and warning system, the network develops joint risk assessment strategies, holds coordinated training exercises, and shares best practices in disaster preparedness.Ensuring sustainabilityAccording to project coordinators, PREVENT not only helps mitigate the risk of natural disasters, it also has a positive impact on local environmental policy – playing a key role in protecting and preserving the cross-border region’s rich biological landscape.To ensure its sustainability, the coordinators concluded the project by implementing a common strategy for preventing and mitigating the effects of natural and man-made disasters. This took the form of a public awareness campaign to ensure locals know what they can do to prevent disasters, and how to react in case one happens.Total investment and EU fundingTotal investment for the project “Prevention and Minimization of the Risks for the Environment and Vision for Innovative Tools (PREVENT)” is EUR 581 484, with the EU’s Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) contributing EUR 494 261 through the “CBC Bulgaria - Turkey” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Protecting the environment and promoting climate change adaptation and mitigation, risk prevention and management”.