Istanbul: Istanbul Forest Innovation Week (IFIW), an event gathering scientists, experts, and industry representatives globally, focused on advanced firefighting technologies, fire management, and awareness through panels and discussions on Tuesday.
According to Anadolu Agency, the conference is organized by the Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Ministry's General Directorate of Forestry in collaboration with the UN Forest Forum (UNFF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The event serves as a critical platform to influence the future of global forestry policies, with Anadolu as the global communication partner for the 2025 edition.
The five-day meeting, which commenced on Monday, includes participation from 75 countries, 30 international organizations, and over 400 expert representatives. Turkish Forestry Director Bekir Karacabey highlighted the panel discussions on various thematic areas over the past two days. He expressed confidence that the decisions made would greatly contribute to forestry both domestically and internationally, provided they are implemented effectively.
Karacabey stressed that while climate change's adverse effects are increasingly evident, efforts to combat it remain insufficient. He emphasized the necessity for collective action, particularly by global forestry communities, to address and mitigate these impacts.
David J. Ganz, director of the Bangkok-based RECOFTC, underscored the significance of community-focused developments and technological advancements in addressing forest fires. He noted that since most fires are human-induced, solutions must also come from human interventions, sharing RECOFTC's initiatives in Southeast Asia on preventative fire planning and awareness.
Sean Tripplet from the Earth Fire Alliance shared insights on leveraging satellite tracking systems for forest fire monitoring. Meanwhile, Ozgur Martin, a mathematics professor at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, discussed a collaborative AI project with the General Directorate of Forestry, facilitated by Koc Digital.
Additionally, Mustafa Kilinc, Havelsan's Civil Aviation's training systems program manager, explained the use of simulators for forest firefighting training. He highlighted the simulator's advantage in providing a safe learning environment, encouraging learning from mistakes, and promoting widespread adoption of simulators.