Calvani Silvia, Paoloni Riccardo, Foderi Cristiano, Frassinelli Niccolò, Kirschner Judith A, Menini Alessio, Galeotti Glenda, Neri Francesco, Marchi Enrico
Department of Agricultural Food Environment and Forestry Sciences and Technologies: Università Degli Studi Di Firenze Dipartimento Di Scienze E Tecnologie Agrarie Alimentari Ambientali E Forestali, University of Florence, Via San Bonaventura 13, Florence, 50145 Italy.
Institute of Geography, University of Bern: Universitat Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, Bern, 3012 Switzerland.
Fire Ecol. 2025;21(1):38. doi: 10.1186/s42408-025-00380-5. Epub 2025 Jun 20.
Wildfire is a complex chemical, physical, and sociological phenomenon deeply rooted in the historical relationship between humans and fire. Today the wildfire risk is one of the human challenges. Effective management requires collaboration among multiple stakeholders across different levels. The risk perception and vulnerability at the local community level explain why and how individuals consider certain policies or mitigation behaviors. Thus, wildfire risk fits within the framework of socio-ecological systems.This study focused on four fire-prone areas in Tuscany, Italy, aiming to explore local wildfire risk perception. Risk perception is a social parameter, derived from media habits, memory, history, concerns, and beliefs. Two different surveys were used to consult two groups: experts (e.g., wildfire technicians, policymakers, business activities, and rural associations) and non-experts (e.g., random residents, students, and tourists), then compared to investigate possible gaps. Several questions were asked regarding demographics, relationship with the territory, current management system, relationship with fire and media, risk perception, and others.Results were compared according to the critical area or the type of respondents, and several analyses were conducted to identify weaknesses, strengths, and areas for improvement to raise awareness and lower the risk.
Findings revealed differences in perception, more between the two groups than across locations, highlighting gaps that need to be addressed. A general underestimation of risk, with an overall optimism, was found in the non-expert group, indicating the need for further qualitative research to understand these aspects better. The interviews suggest public action as the main component to implement change.
The paradigm shift toward prevention represents a core change and challenge. An exchange between scientific and local knowledge is desirable to address many gaps. We propose awareness raising as a possible starting point and to encourage collective actions in line with suggestions from the interviewees. Continuous monitoring and evaluation of response patterns can inform policy adjustments and resource allocation to enhance resilience and response effectiveness in future emergencies. Further research could aim to develop tools to promote a culture of fire and risk and deepen the analysis of risk perception in the most critical areas.
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s42408-025-00380-5.
野火是一种复杂的化学、物理和社会现象，深深植根于人类与火的历史关系之中。如今，野火风险是人类面临的挑战之一。有效的管理需要不同层面的多个利益相关者之间的协作。当地社区层面的风险认知和脆弱性解释了个人为何以及如何看待某些政策或减灾行为。因此，野火风险符合社会生态系统的框架。本研究聚焦于意大利托斯卡纳的四个易发生火灾的地区，旨在探索当地对野火风险的认知。风险认知是一个社会参数，源自媒体习惯、记忆、历史、担忧和信仰。我们使用了两种不同的调查方式来咨询两组人群：专家（如野火技术人员、政策制定者、商业活动人士和农村协会成员）和非专家（如随机抽取的居民、学生和游客），然后进行比较以调查可能存在的差异。我们询问了几个关于人口统计学、与当地的关系、当前管理系统、与火灾及媒体的关系、风险认知等方面的问题。根据关键区域或受访者类型对结果进行了比较，并进行了多项分析，以确定薄弱环节、优势以及需要改进的领域，从而提高认识并降低风险。
研究结果揭示了认知上的差异，两组之间的差异大于不同地点之间的差异，凸显了需要解决的差距。在非专家组中发现了对风险的普遍低估以及总体上的乐观态度，这表明需要进一步开展定性研究以更好地理解这些方面。访谈表明公众行动是实现变革的主要组成部分。
向预防的范式转变是一项核心变革和挑战。科学知识与当地知识之间的交流有助于弥补许多差距。我们建议将提高认识作为一个可能的起点，并根据受访者的建议鼓励集体行动。对应对模式进行持续监测和评估可为政策调整和资源分配提供信息，以增强未来紧急情况下的恢复力和应对效果。进一步的研究可以旨在开发促进火灾和风险文化的工具，并深化对最关键区域风险认知的分析。
在线版本包含可在10.1186/s42408-025-00380-5获取的补充材料。
