Covers these topics: regional, national, and global vision of forest fires: common problems and approaches, theory and models for strategic fire planning, economic analysis and modeling for fire mgmt., forest fires and sustainable forest mgmt., public policies and forest mgmt., hazardous fuels treatment, wildland fire use and fire suppression activities, examples of fire mgmt. plans and strategic fire resource allocation, and a round table on the role of international organizations in forest fire solutions. Representatives from international organizations with fire protection responsibilities in 12 countries presented and discussed their experiences on the same issues. Charts and tables.

This bestselling author of High Crimes explores what causes forest fires and captures their danger and the heroism of those who fight them. In Megafire, a world-renowned journalist and forest fire expert travels to dangerous and remote wildernesses, as well as to the backyards of people faced with these catastrophes, to look at the heart of this phenomenon and witness firsthand the heroic efforts of the firefighters and scientists racing against time to stop it—or at least to tame these deadly flames. From Colorado to California, China to Canada, head to the frontlines on the ground and in the air, as well as in the laboratories, universities, and federal agencies where this battle rages on. Through this prism of perspectives, Kodas zeroes in on some of the most terrifying environmental disasters in recent years—the Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona that took the lives of nineteen elite “hotshot” firefighters, the Waldo Canyon Fire that overwhelmed the city of Colorado Springs—and more in a page-turning narrative that puts a face on the brave people at the heart of this issue. Megafiredescribes the profound global impact of these fires and will change the way we think about the environment and the precariousness of our world. “I don't know any writer better equipped to explain what's gone wrong than Michael Kodas, who shines a light both on the astonishing bravery of the hotshots on the front lines and on the waste and ineptitude of the politicians and bureaucrats who too often fail them, sometimes with fatal consequences.”—Dan Fagin, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation

Human activities as well as various natural phenomena change the environment and impact on the quality of life. Analysis of those dynamics is required for a better understanding of urban modifications, and to facilitate urban growth and development. Research related to the management of urban data has a long tradition. Through the years a variety of challenging research questions has been investigated related to the collection, storage, use and visualisation of the data representing the urban phenomena in a computer-based environment. The role of the citizens and their wellbeing has become a critical aspect in all research and development activities. Since 1971, the Urban Data Management Society (UDMS) has organized international symposia across Europe to promote the development of information systems at a local government level. Initially, the focus of these symposia was mostly on urban applications, but both regional and rural issues have grown in importance over the years. Nowadays, an important aim of UDMS is to provide a forum for people to discuss new approaches, to consider new technologies, and to share practical experiences in the field of urban data management. This book contains a selection of the best 19 out of 42 full papers that were submitted for UDMS 2011. The topics covered represent current trends in urban and regional data management. Urban and Regional Data Management 2011 is divided in four parts: (1) 3D modeling and applications; (2) Data management for local government; (3) Environmental monitoring and assessment; (4) Remote sensing for urban applications, and will proof to be a useful source of information for urban, regional and rural data-related professionals, such as scholars, GIS engineers, geomatic professionals, photogrammetrists, land surveyors, mapping specialists, urban planners and researchers, as well as for postgraduate students and lecturers.

"This book explains the role of earth observation satellite initiatives to meet information needs. It details the importance of the space infrastructure to deliver IT capabilities such as mobile broadband Internet and mobile communication connectivity; it also offers a review of how space technology can influence the future of IT architecture in health, education, logistics, business, and accounting"--Provided by publisher.

Forests are “victims” of disaster when unable to provide services required by society and cannot recover within a relevant timeframe. Trees damaged may host insect pests that may kill healthy trees or become fuel for forest fires. Fallen trees also damage infrastructure.Extreme events can change the cultural and economic life of small states/islands and/or cause the breakdown of societal services.Disasters affect timber supplies, distorting market functioning. Damaged timber is susceptible to attack from insects and fungi, quickly losing value, and insect attacks may spread to healthy trees.Forests can mitigate disasters by e.g. reducing the intensity of tsunamis or stabilizing slopes. Single trees may become important refuges for people during floods.Key messages include:• Responses require planning and training to enable efficient response also in the absence of key personnel.• Information about the location of critical resources is important, e.g. key staff, forestry equipment, access routes, and timber storage sites.• It is impossible for many small countries to be resilient on their own. Development of regional response capacity is desirable, e.g. pools of qualified operators, equipment resources, and training.• Salvage timber is a resource and an economic asset. Planning on the use of forest resources after disasters is rarely undertaken, and policies or regulations covering this type of use are often missing.• Salvaging timber is dangerous and requires training.

From a fire policy of prevention at all costs to today's restored burning, Between Two Fires is America's history channeled through the story of wildland fire management. Stephen J. Pyne tells of a fire revolution that began in the 1960s as a reaction to simple suppression and single-agency hegemony, and then matured into more enlightened programs of fire management. It describes the counterrevolution of the 1980s that stalled the movement, the revival of reform after 1994, and the fire scene that has evolved since then. Pyne is uniquely qualified to tell America’s fire story. The author of more than a score of books, he has told fire’s history in the United States, Australia, Canada, Europe, and the Earth overall. In his earlier life, he spent fifteen seasons with the North Rim Longshots at Grand Canyon National Park. In Between Two Fires, Pyne recounts how, after the Great Fires of 1910, a policy of fire suppression spread from America’s founding corps of foresters into a national policy that manifested itself as a costly all-out war on fire. After fifty years of attempted fire suppression, a revolution in thinking led to a more pluralistic strategy for fire’s restoration. The revolution succeeded in displacing suppression as a sole strategy, but it has failed to fully integrate fire and land management and has fallen short of its goals. Today, the nation’s backcountry and increasingly its exurban fringe are threatened by larger and more damaging burns, fire agencies are scrambling for funds, firefighters continue to die, and the country seems unable to come to grips with the fundamentals behind a rising tide of megafires. Pyne has once again constructed a history of record that will shape our next century of fire management. Between Two Fires is a story of ideas, institutions, and fires. It’s America’s story told through the nation’s flames.