FOREST FIRE STRUGA

ongoing

Regional development in Europe and especially in a challenging area like the Western Balkans, calls for enhanced cross border cooperation that will enable border regions to develop into unified territories that better meet the needs of their residents, public administrations and businesses. A key pillar of such an approach is to strengthen the resilience of cross border areas against natural disasters that will allow neighboring countries to jointly tackle common challenges. With a shared vision and joint plans, border regions can diminish the negative impacts of borders and create lively, integrated cross-border living areas. In Western Balkans and especially in North Macedonia, forest fires represent a major risk that can jeopardize all joint development initiatives with bordering countries. The Forest Fire Struga (FFS) Full Scale Exercise (FSX) project is a joint initiative of North Macedonia, and neighboring countries of th Union Civil Protection Mechanism The project will test challenges related to devastating wildfires in North Macedonia, as well as cross-border cooperation and coordination issues at the cross border area of Ohrid Lake Region (borders with Albania and Greece). The project will optimize capacity building in North Macedonia and cross-border areas, and promote bilateral and multilateral cooperation on wild fires, which can be expanded to include other common risks. FFS FSX project will be the corner stone project for North Macedonia Republic reaching the UCPM standards, helping optimise the ongoing/ next EU /DG ECHO resilient initiatives in North Macedonia and Balkans area.