cooperation - FoRISK

FoRISK and its Multi-Donor Trust Fund rules endorsed by the Steering Committee

Santiago Alarcón on April 13, 2026

FoRISK Steering Committee Meeting in Alnarp, Sweden

One year after its establishment, and with the inclusion of new participating countries, FoRISK Steering Committee (SC) has endorsed FoRISK rules, setting the general structure and functioning of its entities, and governing guidelines of FoRISK Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF). This marks a major milestone towards the long-term sustainability of this implementation mechanism of the FOREST EUROPE process, created following the adoption of the Bonn Ministerial Decision in October 2024.

The Steering Committee currently comprises of the Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovakia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and supported by three observer countries which include Bulgaria, Greece and Latvia.

The Steering Committee has endorsed the framework that guides the overall FoRISK governance structure and defines the operation of the FoRISK MDTF. This endorsement marks the start of FoRISK’s introductory period, running until 2030, with a related Work Programme on the way. A new phase will enter into force from 2031 onwards, giving room for continued implementation of the MDTF provisions.

The document also provides clear and comprehensive guidelines on the roles and responsibilities of FoRISK entities, which include: FoRISK Signatories and FoRISK Observers, respectively nominating their representative and official Focal Points. FoRISK Experts, nominated by the Focal Points mentioned above. The Steering Committee, including FoRISK Signatories financially contributing to the Trust Funds, and the Secretariat, comprising coordinators appointed by EFI and other EFI staff.

The document further defines how FoRISK and its entities will shape strategic orientations, activities, and collective efforts across its three focal areas: wildfires, windstorms, and biotic agents. It further establishes transparent procedures for the administration and reporting of revenues and expenditures under the Work Programme.

We invite you to read the full document, structured into three sections and thirteen articles, available here:

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FoRISK Strategic Work Programme covering the period up to 2030 will be published shortly, together with the Operational Work Programme for 2026. More information will be available over the upcoming weeks.

We encourage you to follow FoRISK on its official communication channels and to subscribe to our annual newsletter.

FoRISK Steering Committee Concludes 2026 Planning Session

Santiago Alarcón on December 15, 2025

The FoRISK Steering Committee convened on December 12 and 15 to finalize key decisions shaping its immediate future. Discussions focused on refining the governance framework for the Multi-Donor Trust Fund and the 2025-2030 Work Programme, including short-term objectives and planned activities with member countries, expert networks, and observer organizations.

Notable developments include Norway joining the Committee and expressions of interest from Bulgaria to participate in 2026; this is clear evidence of growing pan-European commitment to strengthening forest resilience against climate-driven disturbances.

A highlight of the meeting was the introduction of the FoRISK Intelligence Hub, an online repository hosted at forisk.org. This open-access platform offers practical and scientific resources on managing forest disturbances, with a focus on wildfires, windstorms, and biotic agents. FoRISK invites contributions from local, national, and international organizations, as well as academic and practitioner communities. To share relevant materials and best practices, please contact .

On behalf of the FoRISK Secretariat and Steering Committee members, we extend our best wishes to the entire forest community for a joyful holiday season and a prosperous, resilient New Year.

Returning to the heart of Poland for the 4th edition of Forest Camp

Alexander Held, Lindon Pronto on June 10, 2025

By Alexander Held and Lindon Pronto, European Forest Institute.

The first edition of Forest Camp took place in Golabki, and now, after several years of “camping” in different locations across Poland, we returned to the SNEP Village and surrounding forests in central Poland, where it all began.

The European Forest Institute (EFI) Resilience Program, with its WKR initiative, supported SNEP over the years, and now, with the newly established Pan-European Forest Risk Facility (FoRISK), we could continue this tradition. This year, FoRISK could support the Camp and, in particular, help raise the number of participants from Ukraine.

The Camp was tucked away in the beautiful forests around Golabki and attracted 160 participants from 25 countries and four continents. The mix of participants was diverse, covering fire service and forestry, as well as scientists, media, mountain rescue, and even bankers. The Camp location, fortunately, did not provide any internet or mobile phone connection, so people had no choice but to meet, talk, share, eat, laugh, and dance together around the campfire. There were many cabins in the woods, and a communal base of operations was established from Thursday evening to Monday morning. Three days full of fire management training stations that the teams had to master: firefighting from boats, ATV-offroad training, fire behaviour analysis, working with advanced equipment like robots and helicopters, testing skills with portable pumps and equipment/apparatus, medical scenarios, 20km of hiking and manoeuvres in the forest, culminating with containing a live-fire with no water and only hand tools. The teams ended their long days having fully deserved the leisure and bonding time in the evenings!

The networking was exceptional; relationships were formed, knowledge and experience were shared, and even a marriage proposal arose from the ashes of the burn plots.

A truly unique event, again, came to an end too fast. But we look forward to seeing many familiar faces again next time! A special highlight for us was the participation from the Ukrainian forest sector, which we will follow up on for further cooperation with a visit to Kyiv in June. Further, the incredible value of this event will be presented and shared at the FAO Global Fire Hub in Rome.

With great pleasure, we also received a group from Iceland, which we had visited for a World Bank/DG ECHO project in 2024 and 2025 – just one small example of the reach of the Forest Camp movement – as indeed it has inspired similar events in the Czech Republic and Lebanon. Networks and relationships are growing, and with each event, the community comes together, making the “fire world” feel a little smaller as we learn from and support one another in navigating the wildfire challenges ahead.

For more background and perspectives on Forest Camp, check out this publication in Wildfire Magazine: https://www.iawfonline.org/article/forest-camp-a-gruelling-but-spectacular-week/

Crisis Management: Communication and Collaboration Key to Overcoming Windstorm Eowin

Silvia Abruscato on May 12, 2025

“Crisis management is about communication and collaboration,” emphasized Christoph Hartebrodt during the recent FoRISK workshop addressing the aftermath of Windstorm Eowin. Last week, the FoRISK Secretariat visited Dublin to support the Irish Department for Agriculture, Food and Marine in tackling the severe windstorm that struck on January 24th, affecting approximately 24,000 hectares of forests—equivalent to 2.5 years of annual cuts. The damage was evenly split between public and private ownership.

Our initial meeting with the Windblow Task Force took place in early April, where we exchanged experiences and clarified the situation with the affected parties. For more details, you can read our previous news item here.

On May 7th, Silvia Abruscato, FoRISK Secretariat coordinator, and Christoph Hartebrodt, a renowned crisis management expert from the Forest Research Institute Baden Württemberg (FVA), moderated a comprehensive workshop. The event brought together around 25 stakeholders, including representatives from industries, sawmills, farmers, owners, contractors, timber associations, the private sector, the Ministry, state-owned companies, and other national authorities.

The workshop began with participants familiarizing themselves with the objectives, which included optimizing action timing, staff mobilization, training, information flow, licensing processes, health and safety, confidence in forestry, environmental protection, economic recovery, coordination capacity, cooperation, and effective crisis management. These goals were tailored to the Irish context and visually summarized in a step-by-step landscape process to guide decision-making from harvesting to selling.

Participants identified key bottlenecks, such as contractor recruitment capacity and the training of owners, harvesters, and foresters. The discussion then focused on the most relevant activities to address these issues, ranging from driver’s capacity and work permits to staff training, public road access, group certification, proactive communication products, and a well-funded reconstruction scheme. Participants elaborated on these top activities, which will be further developed in the coming months.

The workshop concluded with the identification of approximately ten key activities, thoroughly elaborated by participants, which will serve as a solid foundation for the Irish dynamic action plan to face the windstorm. The Ministry, with the support of our FoRISK team, is currently compiling the workshop results into a concise report.

Thanks to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine of Ireland for the pictures, video, and co-organization of this workshop. We hope to keep working together towards a joint strategy to face future windstorm events better.

FoRISK Kicks Off: Building a Strong Network for Forest Risk Prevention, Management and Collaboration

Santiago Alarcón on April 30, 2025

The pan-European Forest Risk Facility (FoRISK) kick-off meeting, focusing on Steering Committee formation, took place on Monday, April 28, marking a significant milestone in the establishment of this innovative network. During the meeting, key steps were approved to form the governing bodies, define relationships with FOREST EUROPE signatories and observers, and outline the initial work program giving a strategic direction of the Facility.

The Steering Committee (SC), currently featuring representatives from Germany, Slovakia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Luxembourg and Czechia, besides the participation of potential SC member countries like Bulgaria, Switzerland, and Greece, entered an open discussion and discussed the way forward with the FoRISK Secretariat. They also touched base on the progress on collaborations with expert networks, including the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague on biotic hazards in forests and the Baden-Württemberg Forest Research Institute on windstorms.

A notable highlight was the dynamic wind-blow strategy for Ireland, initiated by Minister Haely-Rae and supported by the Rapid Response team of the FoRISK Facility. This strategy is already in motion, demonstrating FoRISK’s proactive approach to addressing forest challenges. A follow-up workshop is scheduled for early May, providing further insights and updates (more info here).

With the first events, collaborations, and communication strategies in the planning stages, FoRISK has officially launched, setting the stage for a productive first year. The facility aims to sustain a stable collaboration network, focusing on three focal areas, such as windstorm, wildfire and biotic agents, to drive research, transboundary collaboration and innovation towards resilient forests.

Stay tuned for more updates as FoRISK continues to grow and make strides in international forest risk management cooperation.

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