Wales to draw on international wildfire expertise after summer blazes

Nation.Cymru staff

Wales will draw on international expertise to prepare for next year’s wildfire season after a summer of record heat, drought and fires that affected communities across the country.

Llyr Gruffydd, the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, will visit the Antalya International Forest Training Centre this week during the UN climate conference, COP31, in Türkiye.

He will take part in a field visit organised by the Turkish government and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization as part of an event run by the Under2 Coalition, a network of governments of which Wales is a founding member. The event will look at how countries prevent wildfires, prepare for them and respond when they break out.

The Welsh Government said lessons from the visit would help shape its wildfire prevention plans for next year. At a summit in October, the First Minister brought together fire services, police, councils, farmers and climate experts to discuss how to reduce the risk of further fires.

Measures agreed at the summit included bringing in international experts to train Welsh fire and rescue services, reviewing how land management could reduce the risk of fires and strengthening the national wildfire board.

“The wildfires we experienced this summer across Wales served as a warning, and we must be prepared,” Mr Gruffydd said.

“I’m travelling to Türkiye to share Wales’ experiences, learn from countries that face these challenges every year, and bring back valuable insights to help strengthen our approach at home.”

The visit comes as the Welsh Government develops a Climate and Nature Action Plan. Ministers say the plan will bring together work across departments to protect communities, support rural and coastal economies and prepare for the effects of climate change.

At COP31, Mr Gruffydd will also hear from representatives of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa about their experiences of flooding, drought, wildfires and extreme heat. He will speak at events on food waste and take part in talks on clean electricity and investment in climate and nature projects.

The conference runs in Antalya from 9 to 20 November.