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Description
In Greece, there is complexity and gaps in the disclosure of the data related to the resources invested; the funding sources and the process of accessing them. Improving transparency will lead to better use of resources and therefore better results.
The aim of the project is to enhance transparency in the management of state resources for the prevention and suppression of forest fires and to propose institutional interventions that will promote good governance by strengthening social control mechanisms.
Actions include: Data collection, mapping of funding and stakeholder groups, identifying gaps & malfunctions at different levels of management and decision-making for which specific interventions will be proposed to supervise the absorption of funding, highlight good practices from abroad, and disseminate knowledge that will be produced through cooperation with mass media and information measures for the target groups.
The target groups will be: forest firefighting volunteer groups, other NGOs, public authorities & local authorities in high fire danger risk areas. Beneficiaries will have full access to the findings of the survey and will contribute to the development of the tools that will strengthen their watchdog role allowing them to exert political pressure and become agents of change.
WWF Greece, as the implementing body, will coordinate and implement all actions except the investigative journalism and dissemination of research results, which will be undertaken by MIIR partner.
Summary of project results
In the light of the massive wildfires, in the summer 2021, that burnt more than 1.5 million acres, the need to improve and strengthen the overall fire protection system was urgent. Towards this direction, the adoption and implementation of integrated prevention and repression approaches of forest fires, the proper information and awareness of the public as well as the transparent and effective management of the available resources were key factors. The aim of this project was to enhance the transparency in the management of the available public funds and develop proposals on institutional reformations in order to improve the governance of the national system on forest protection and fire prevention. It is worth noted that this was the first time that such an assessment was conducted in a national level attempting to obscure a crucial aspect of the efficiency of the forest protection system.
The main achievement of the project was that it brought the issue of the forest fires finances into public consultation, through the financial data collection by the competent authorities and the evaluation of the current resource allocation to the main available financial mechanisms.
The deliverables of the project include the development and dissemination of a policy brief entitled “Finances of prevention and repression of forest fires: Evaluation of the management of the resources and proposals on strengthening transparency, accountability and effectiveness” and the creation of a guide on fundraising for volunteer firefighters’ organizations. Furthermore, in order to improve the training on public consultation of the beneficiaries of the project, nine (9) capacity building workshops were organized with local authorities and voluntary groups to Achaia, Kefallinia, Korinthia, Samo, Chio, Evoia, Rodo, West Macedonia and Thessaloniki. In parallel, aiming at raising awareness, both for the public and the beneficiaries, five (5) press releases were published, at the beginning and end of the fire season 2020 and 2021, based on evidence collected in the framework of the project as well as with specific suggestions to improve funds’ distribution and enhance transparency and accountability. Finally, seven (7) opinion articles were published regarding the management, transparency and accountability of forest fires’ finances aiming at promoting the public dialogue on the issue.