The municipalities of Genalguacil, Jubrique, Casares, and Estepona are participating in the LIFE FIRE-RES CLIMA project, which aims to use the mountain as a testing ground to prevent large wildfires. The Diputación de Málaga will be the main executor of the trials if Brussels approves the project in 2027.
The experience from the 2021 fire in Sierra Bermeja could form the basis of a European project to learn how to manage forests that are less vulnerable to large fires. The municipalities of Genalguacil, Jubrique, Casares, and Estepona are part of the LIFE FIRE-RES CLIMA application, submitted to the European Union's LIFE Programme, as reported by Diario Sur. The Diputación de Málaga is participating as a partner and main executor of the actions in this environment, alongside the Ayuntamiento de Genalguacil and the Andalusian Emergency Agency.
The approach is to bring prevention directly to the territory, involving administrations, forest owners, and the local population. It is not just about studying how to respond when fire occurs, but also about exploring new ways to manage the landscape to make it less vulnerable while simultaneously generating economic opportunities in rural communities. The trials will focus on areas where forest spaces, urban centres, and tourist activities coexist.
The deputy for European Resources, Jesús María Claros, explains that the 2021 emergency highlighted the need to work on the ground and not limit the forestry strategy to firefighting devices.
“To demonstrate that a burned forest can become a living forest again, managed and generating employment in the Genal Valley”
The proposal includes training for technicians, professionals, and locals, as well as monitoring the environmental, social, and economic results of the interventions. The impact on the carbon balance will also be analysed to assess how a territory exposed to climate change can adapt.
The application is coordinated by the Catalonia Forest Science and Technology Centre (CTFC) and brings together more than fifty entities. Sierra Bermeja would be integrated into an international network of 19 living laboratories spread across 11 countries, with a total budget of 70.2 million euros and a planned duration of eight years. This amount corresponds to the entirety of the international application and not exclusively to the actions in the province of Málaga.
The development of the project is pending a decision from the European Commission, expected in 2027. The Diputación de Málaga is also involved in two other environmental proposals for the European programme: one aimed at improving the conservation of the black-winged stilt on beaches and salt flats, and another focused on the protection of habitats on serpentine soils.
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