Comparative analysis of policies to deal with wildfire risk

Fires are the main driver of land degradation in forest areas in Mediterranean sub-humid regions, and are likely to increase as a result of climate and other global changes. To prevent deleterious processes induced by fire, several policies and strategies have been implemented at national and regional scales. We perform a comparative study of policies and strategies of Portuguese and Spanish (Comunitat Valenciana) cases in order to assess the differences between them, and identify their roles in forest fire prevention, and in combating and mitigating impacts. To this end, we analyse the sustainability objectives stated in the legislation body of each country to identify the strategies used to deal with forest fires and the extent to which they are integrated to achieve the sustainability objectives they pursue. The comparative analysis includes an assessment of sustainability, evaluated by the explicitness of the objectives, and identification of how the lines of action contribute to reach these objectives. We found different levels of complexity and that the adoption or rejection of some of the techniques is closely related to the tradition and the experience of local communities. This analysis highlights the importance of local characteristics and the stakeholders involvement in designing effective strategies to reduce fire risk

Enhanced hydrologic connectivity and solute dynamics following wildfire and drought in a contaminated temperate peatland catchment

Intact peatlands provide hydrological ecosystem services, such as regulating water regimes and immobilizing pollutants within catchments. Climate change impacts including drought and wildfire may impair their functioning, potentially impacting ecosystem service delivery. Here we investigate stream water quality changes following the combined impacts of a summer drought and wildfire in a peat-dominated catchment in the UK during 2018. The study catchment stores legacy pollutants (i.e., metals) due to past industrial activity, thus making it particularly susceptible to pollutant release during wildfires. We quantified changes in water chemistry during five storm events over a 9-month period following the wildfire. Concentration-discharge (C-Q) relationships for nine solutes were analyzed to explore changes in activation and connectivity of solute source zones. Hysteresis and flushing indices of C-Q responses further described solute dynamics during storm events. We found that most nutrient and base cation concentrations in the stream discharge were highest in the immediate post-fire storm events and decreased during subsequent autumn and spring storms. Metal concentrations increased during autumn and spring storms, indicating delayed mobilization from within-peat or distal headwater sources. Our findings suggest that seasonal re-wetting and hydrologic connectivity following disturbance influenced solute source zone activation and transport in the study catchment. Water quality responses associated with wildfire and drought were primarily observed in the months following the wildfire, suggesting mobilization of pollutants peaks shortly after fire. Our results contribute to a critical understanding of the future of water quality risks in temperate peatland catchments subject to disturbances exacerbated by climate change

HESS Opinions: Science in today's media landscape - Challenges and lessons from hydrologists and journalists

Media such as television, newspapers and social media play a key role in the communication between scientists and the general public. Communicating your science via the media can be positive and rewarding by providing the inherent joy of sharing your knowledge with a broader audience, promoting science as a fundamental part of culture and society, impacting decision- and policy-makers, and giving you a greater recognition by institutions, colleagues and funders. However, the interaction between scientists and journalists is not always straightforward. For instance, scientists may not always be able to translate their work into a compelling story, and journalists may sometimes misinterpret scientific output. In this paper, we present insights from hydrologists and journalists discussing the advantages and benefits as well as the potential pitfalls and aftermath of science-media interaction. As we perceive interacting with the media as a rewarding and essential part of our work, we aim to encourage scientists to participate in the diverse and evolving media landscape. With this paper, we call on the scientific community to support scientists who actively contribute to a fruitful science-media relationship.

HESS Opinions: Science in today's media landscape - Challenges and lessons from hydrologists and journalists

Media such as television, newspapers and social media play a key role in the communication between scientists and the general public. Communicating your science via the media can be positive and rewarding by providing the inherent joy of sharing your knowledge with a broader audience, promoting science as a fundamental part of culture and society, impacting decision- and policy-makers, and giving you a greater recognition by institutions, colleagues and funders. However, the interaction between scientists and journalists is not always straightforward. For instance, scientists may not always be able to translate their work into a compelling story, and journalists may sometimes misinterpret scientific output. In this paper, we present insights from hydrologists and journalists discussing the advantages and benefits as well as the potential pitfalls and aftermath of science-media interaction. As we perceive interacting with the media as a rewarding and essential part of our work, we aim to encourage scientists to participate in the diverse and evolving media landscape. With this paper, we call on the scientific community to support scientists who actively contribute to a fruitful science-media relationship.