Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.31298/sl.148.7-8.1
Perception of the causes and consequences of forest fires in the Republic of Croatia
Hrvoje Mataković
; Institut za turizam, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Karlo Beljan
; Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Fakultet šumarstva i drvne tehnologije, Zavod za izmjeru, daljinska istraživanja i uređivanje šuma, Zagreb, Hrvatska
*
Stjepan Posavec
; Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Fakultet šumarstva i drvne tehnologije, Zavod za izmjeru, daljinska istraživanja i uređivanje šuma, Zagreb, Hrvatska
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Forest fires pose a serious safety risk as they endanger human lives, damage the environment and cause material damage. Considering the significant share of forests in the total area of Croatia, fire safety is of particular interest to the Republic of Croatia. Although media and public interest in forest fires increases during the summer, probably because most fires break out in the wider coastal region, which is the most tourism-intensive part of Croatia, the causes of forest fires in Croatia are still insufficiently studied. The aim of this paper is to explore how the causes and consequences of forest fires are perceived and what solutions can be considered for their prevention. It is also analysed whether there is a difference in the perception of these issues between experts and non-experts. Experts in this paper are people who are professionally involved with forests or forest fires, and non-experts are all other respondents who visit forests as a hobby and may have come into contact with forest fires without practicing their profession. The survey was published online and was available to potential respondents from June to October 2023. During this period, the responses were collected from 119 respondents: 79 respondents are professionally involved with forests or fires and form the group of experts in this study, and 40 respondents visit forests as a hobby and form the group of non-experts. The collected responses were analysed using the Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests.
This study showed that for most questions, there are no statistically significant differences between experts and non-experts in their perception of the causes and consequences of forest fires. Non-experts rated the statement that sufficient measures are taken in Croatia to reduce the risk of forest fires at 2.97, and experts gave it a slightly higher rating, namely 3.18. Most respondents in both groups (55.00% of experts and 45.57% of non-experts) believe that deliberate ignition is the most important factor in the outbreak of forest fires. In the non-expert group, poor forest management and an increased number of visitors and tourists in the forests are the next most common cause (12.50%), while among the experts, the majority of respondents believe that burning of waste on agricultural land is responsible for the outbreak of fires (21.52%). Regarding forest visitors, non-experts indicated that forest fires have the most negative impact on hikers and mountaineers (47.50%) and campers (20%), while experts believe that forest fires have the most negative impact on hunters (40.51%) and hikers and mountaineers (35.44%). The respondents were also offered eight variables describing potential economic losses due to forest fires. Non-experts believe that the biggest economic losses are the costs of restoring infrastructure, public property, and industry after a fire. Experts believe that the costs directly related to forests are the greatest economic loss, such as the cost of restoring the landscape after a fire and the loss of income due to burned trees or delayed timber harvesting.
No statistically significant differences were found between experts and non-experts in the questions on possible solutions for forest fires. Respondents from both groups believe that forest fires can be prevented most effectively through better monitoring of forests, stricter penalties for arsonists, and better education. Education should improve the lack of knowledge and awareness about forest fires and consequently lead to fewer fires. This research has shown that there is an interest in education about forest fires, but also that the information about education is not sufficiently disseminated. The answers obtained in this study can serve as a guide for stakeholders responsible for the design of the fire protection system and the structuring and design of future forest fire education.
Keywords
safety, risk, natural disasters, forest management
Hrčak ID:
319997
URI
Publication date:
31.8.2024.
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