Korea steps up in UN wildfire response

The seventh session of the UN Environment Assembly is held at the United Nations Environment Program headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, Dec. 8. (Korea Forest Service)

The United Nations has adopted a resolution calling for stronger global cooperation on wildfire management, elevating the issue on the international environmental agenda, the Korea Forest Service said Monday.

The resolution was approved at the seventh session of the UN Environment Assembly, held in Kenya's capital Nairobi from Dec. 8 to 12. As the UN’s top decision-making body on environmental policy, the assembly sets global priorities every two years.

The measure recognizes wildfires as an escalating global threat, linking them to biodiversity loss, forest degradation, air pollution and growing risks to human life and property. It stresses that international coordination is critical across the full wildfire cycle — from prevention and early warning to emergency response and postfire recovery.

To that end, the resolution calls for the development of integrated wildfire management systems, including capacity building, technology sharing and policy coordination. It also mandates the strengthening of the Global Fire Management Hub as the central platform for international collaboration.

Launched in 2023 through a partnership between the Food and Agriculture Organization and the UN Environment Program, the hub brings together countries including South Korea, Germany, Canada and Portugal. It operates under an “Integrated Fire Management” framework that spans risk analysis, active firefighting and postdisaster recovery.

The Korea Forest Service said Korea, a founding member of the hub’s steering committee, is playing an expanding role. The agency is currently participating in the hub’s Fire Data Working Group, contributing to efforts to link and standardize wildfire data across borders.

“The adoption of this resolution confirms that the Global Fire Management Hub, launched with Korea’s contribution, has established itself as a key platform for international wildfire response,” said Nam Song-hee, director general of international affairs at the Korea Forest Service.

“Going forward, we aim to strengthen wildfire prediction and risk management through science-based global cooperation, while improving the effectiveness of domestic policy,” Nam said.