ITTO launches Tropical Integrated Fire Management Toolkit with regional webinars

ITTO has launched a comprehensive toolkit for the management of fire in tropical forests, bringing together tropical fire knowledge, technical guidelines and decision-support tools in one centralized resource. © ITTO

ITTO has launched a comprehensive toolkit for the management of fire in tropical forests, bridging a “critical gap” in efforts to combat a growing threat to lives, livelihoods and ecosystems across the tropics.

ITTO presented the Tropical Integrated Fire Management (TIFM) Toolkit in three regional webinars for fire management stakeholders in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America on 14–16 September.

The first online portal of its kind, the TIFM Toolkit brings together tropical fire knowledge, technical guidelines and decision-support tools in one centralized resource, making it easier to access practical information for integrated fire management (IFM).

Opening the first seminar, ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru underlined how tropical forest fires not only contribute to climate change and forest degradation but also trigger biodiversity loss and socioeconomic and health impacts for communities.

Despite the growing risk, research findings, technical guidelines and traditional knowledge on fire in tropical forests and its management had remained fragmented or difficult to access, Ms Satkuru said.

“Bridging this critical gap is at the very core of ITTO's strategic vision for the Tropical Integrated Fire Management toolkit,” she said. “This launch marks a transformative step forward in leveraging the wealth of existing resources created by the entire fire community, fostering regional dialogue, addressing country and regional fire management priorities, and assisting in building technical capacity within the tropics.”

Brett Shields, an ITTO consultant who helped design the toolkit, presented data that underline the importance of managing fire in the tropics.

While emissions from fire in tropical regions have declined since the turn of the century, the share of tropical forest loss driven by fire rose from an average of 12% in 2001–2022 to 35% in 2023–2025. The figure peaked at 48% in 2024, overtaking agriculture for the first time.

Moreover, while tropical regions hold 45% of global forests and some 54% of the world’s population, many countries in those regions may lack the capacity and resources to manage fire effectively.

“Are we approaching an inflection point for fire in tropical forests?” Mr Shields said. “If we are, the need to strengthen tropical fire management becomes considerably more urgent.”

ITTO’s work on fire management dates back to the 1990s and includes the publication in 1997 of the landmark ITTO Guidelines on Fire Management in Tropical Forests, used by several ITTO members in their national fire management frameworks and strategies.

Consultations on updating the guidelines began in 2024. But the discussion revealed that the biggest need was not for new guidelines but for better awareness of and access to the wealth of guidelines, tools, assessments, training materials, policies, and other resources already produced by international organizations, governments, NGOs, researchers and practitioners.

“So ITTO decided to pivot and focus on developing a centralized online clearinghouse,” Director of Forest Management Jennifer Conje said during the webinar.

The toolkit results from a joint initiative between ITTO and the Collaborative Partnership on Forests to advance IFM in tropical forests. Partners in the initiative include the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Global Fire Monitoring Centre (GMFC), and RECOFTC.

Developed over 18 months by ITTO colleagues and expert consultants in consultation with regional forest user groups, and with funding from the governments of Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States,  the toolkit is built around a “5Rs” framework: risk reduction, readiness, response, recovery, and review and analysis. Rather than presenting a one-size-fits-all blueprint for fire management, the resource empowers practitioners to design and improve fire management systems that are tailored to local circumstances.

Conje walked those attending the webinar through the scalable platform, which users can navigate and filter from either a PC or mobile device to locate global resources or those related to a particular region, country, and tool type. The home page also features tropical fire-related news stories, and a button that allows users to propose new items for inclusion.

“We have about 500 resources within our database now, but that is just a starting point,” Conje said. “Think of this toolkit as a way to further disseminate all the knowledge resources that your organization has developed and to allow them to be used widely.”

Webinar participants praised the toolkit for its ease of navigation and the inclusion of materials in different formats and languages and identified areas for future development, including more resources on peat fires, community firefighting, post-fire restoration and youth outreach.

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Join ITTO at the COFO28 event “Advancing integrated fire management: global tools, community action and regional innovation,” showcasing practical tools, guidelines, and regional initiatives advancing integrated fire management (IFM), with a focus on community-based approaches, tropical forests, digital innovation, and regional collaboration. The event will highlight new efforts, including the ITTO’s Tropical IFM Toolkit, Community-Based Fire Management Guidelines, and regional fire information initiatives to strengthen ecosystem and community resilience and reduce wildfire impacts.