Thompson Rivers University researchers are heading to Nepal next month where they’ll spend two weeks leading efforts to develop effective forest fire management techniques and establish community-level fire response units.

“Fire frequency in Nepal is increasing. The concern is that more and more fires are burning and as a result they’re losing more livestock and more structures,” said Dr. John Karakatsoulis, a senior lecturer in the Natural Resource Science Department.

He and associate professor Dr. Wendy Gardner will lead a team made up of representatives from the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources and Ivan Somlai, an international consultant specializing in natural resource issues in developing nations. As well, the Canadian team will be partnering with a Nepalese team that includes members from the Kathmandu Forestry College and various resource ministries. The project has been funded by a $59,000 grant from the Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

This two-year research project has clear objectives and a well-developed plan, and while the researchers acknowledge the goals are lofty, they’re convinced that their team is up to the challenge.

“It’s doable, but the recent earthquakes have made it more challenging and added a whole new dimension to the project,” explained Gardner, referencing the major quake that rocked the country in April 2015.

One of the major aims of the research project is to develop capacity on the ground in Nepal by bringing Nepalese wildfire managers back to the Kamloops Fire Centre for intensive training. In Nepal, the impact of forest fires is more than just the loss of homes. Much of the population relies upon the forest to provide fuel for cooking and heating. Forest fires also increase the risk of landslide and severe flooding during the rainy season.

“We have world-class, paramilitary-style training, and we’re going into a country where fire management includes shovels and hoses. They don’t have air capacity, they don’t have access roads; we need to come up with a management plan that will work with the resources available,” said Karakatsoulis.

But there’s more to this project than putting out fires, said Gardner.

“We’re hoping we can help reduce risks. Their best defense is to be prepared, so we want to train people to train more people and have it flow through. We need to build capacity,” she said.

For information

Dr. John Karakatsoulis
jkarakatsoulis@tru.ca
250-828-5462

Dr. Wendy Gardner
wgardner@tru.ca
250-371-5570