GUATEMALA – At a ceremony event in Guatemala City, on Nov. 24, 2023, the country of Guatemala formally celebrated the creation and adoption of their first 10-year National Fire Management Strategy. Executive Secretary Oscar Cossio, National Coordinating Agency for Disaster Reduction, presented the strategy and noted its importance.

The event occurred in Guatemala City, at the headquarters of CONRED, with the participation of 148 people from different agencies, including all the wildland and structural firefighter corps, cooperation agencies of Brazil, Taiwan and the US Embassy. The Forest Service International Programs team was represented by Lucrecia Masaya, program manager for Guatemala and Belize, and Fire Specialist Oscar Rodriguez. They spoke about the work carried out in-country by the Forest Service International Programs. They also shared with attendees how International Programs work in Latin America aligns with the mission of the USDA Forest Service.

Prior to this, the country did not have a national strategy to guide their work in the prevention, investigation and suppression of wildfires as well as helping them manage fire in areas where it is an important part of the ecosystem (e.g., conifer forests). Wildland fires in Guatemala have been responsible for a high number of fatalities. The strategy addresses how government agencies and civil society can better prepare and respond to the dangers of wildland fire and enhance firefighter safety.

“The National Fire Strategy was approved by CONRED’s National Council, which includes six ministries and four non-government agencies, for a total of 10 organizations, which will allow the country to have a document that guides all activities including preparing for upcoming fire seasons and considering prevention as a key element,” said Cossio.

Forest Service partners have adopted the strategy as their own and are empowered to move forward. Guatemalan agencies are incorporating elements of the strategy in their annual operating plans and budgets, national response plan for the 2023/2024 fire season and in fundraising efforts.

The strategy is the culmination of a five-year collaborative effort between Forest Service technical experts and Guatemalan government entities, including the National Coordinating Agency for Disaster Reduction, the National Council for Protected Areas, the National Institute for Forests, the National Association of Municipalities, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cattle Ranching and the Ministry of Defense. The Guatemala National Fire Strategy was jointly funded by Forest Service and the U.S. Agency for International Development, with significant contributions (in-kind) by the government of Guatemala. The International Programs Office of the Forest Service managed the strategy effort.