On 22 January 2026 the Cyprus Institute, the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts, and the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) organized a public lecture and presentation of the EASAC report entitled Changing Wildfires - Policy Options for a Fire-literate and Fire-adapted Europe.
In the public lecture, we discussed the main findings of the EASAC report, emphasised the importance of preventive measures in wildfire governance, and also focused on the specific challenges of the Mediterranean region. The lectures were followed by fruitful discussion on these topics and on the relevance on the EU decision of establishing a Wildfire Hub in Cyprus. Many thanks to the organizers for making this super-important and interesting event possible!
The event was live-streamed and can be watched here (from 10:30).
Please find below some brief information about the panel and the abstract of the event.
Convenor: Prof. Costas N. Papanicolas, President Emeritus, The Cyprus Institute, Director, Research Unit of Climate Crisis and Sustainable Development; The Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts
Panelists:
Prof. Thomas Elmqvist, Professor, Stockholm Resilience Center, Stockholm University, Sweden and EASAC Environment Director
Dr. Orsolya Valkó, Research Group Leader, HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Hungary
Prof. Efthymis Lekkas, Professor of Dynamic, Tectonic, Applied Geology, and Natural Disaster Management, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Mr. Kostakis A. Papageorgiou, Chief Conservator of Forests, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development & Environment, Department of Forests
Abstract
“Suppressing fires alone is not sufficient. We need to address the root causes, strengthen efforts to combat climate change, invest in resilient landscapes, and actively engage society in learning to live with fire,” says Dr. Cathelijne Stoof, Co-Chair of EASAC’s Wildfires Working Group.
According to the newly published EASAC report Changing Wildfires in Europe, many regions across Europe are experiencing multi-year droughts, significantly increasing the likelihood of extreme wildfire events. On average, wildfires in the European Union currently burn approximately half a million hectares each year—an area roughly equivalent to half the size of Cyprus.
The event will examine the escalating wildfire risks across Europe, with a particular focus on the Mediterranean, and assess their implications for Cyprus, the Eastern Mediterranean region, and the proposed European Wildfire Hub. Topics covered will include wildfire risk reduction, prevention strategies, and building fire-resilient societies in Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Cyprus. Experts, policymakers, and stakeholders will convene to explore how EU and regional strategies can transition from reactive fire suppression toward proactive, risk-based land and landscape management.
