Parliamentary discussion on establishing a one-stop system for preventing, suppressing and recovering from major forest fire disasters
Member of the National Assembly Min Hong-cheol and Member of the National Assembly Kim Jeong-ho held a discussion on ‘Measures to establish a one-stop system for preventing, suppressing and recovering from major forest fire disasters’ at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building on 31 July. Dr Kwon Chun-geun of the National Institute of Forest Science is presenting. [Photo= Reporter Jo Jeong-hun]
Regarding forest fire disasters, whose frequency and scale of damage are increasing due to climate change, calls have been made to establish an integrated forest fire management system covering the entire cycle from prevention and suppression to recovery. As the existing approach, which focuses on fragmented responses, has limitations in forest fire management, the explanation was that it is necessary to consider how to apply and integrate technologies at each stage and systematise them.
Dr Kwon Chun-geun of the National Institute of Forest Science under the Korea Forest Service made these remarks at the discussion on ‘Measures to establish a one-stop system for preventing, suppressing and recovering from major forest fire disasters’, held at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building on 31 July.
Speaking on the topic ‘Measures to establish an integrated management system for each stage of forest fire disaster management using advanced technologies’, Dr Kwon Chun-geun emphasised that innovating disaster management based on advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), satellites and drones, the Internet of Things (IoT), and digital twins is an important task.
For the prevention stage, he proposed establishing a system for quantifying and monitoring fuel loads through LiDAR-based three-dimensional terrain and vegetation data analysis, in order to precisely identify the fuel load in each high-risk area. He also mentioned the need for visualisation, such as producing long-term forest fire risk maps based on climate scenarios.
For the preparedness stage, he considered establishing an integrated command system using digital technologies to be key. He said that a real-time information-sharing system should be established to prevent confusion among agencies.
Dr Kwon proposed establishing a multi-layered monitoring system integrating satellites, drones and sensors, as well as applying AI technologies to detect smoke patterns and abnormal infrared temperatures, during the response stage, when early detection and spread prediction technologies are important.
For the recovery stage, he mentioned that it is important to quickly identify the extent and causes of the damage and systematically support the recovery of forests and local communities. He also said that an integrated support system encompassing psychological recovery after disasters should be established.
Dr Kwon said, “The complex disasters caused by wildfires have made it essential to move beyond the existing response focused on firefighting and transition to an integrated management system that uses advanced technologies throughout the entire cycle. Public safety can be ensured only by establishing a practical, technology-based wildfire disaster management system through increased government investment in technology R&D, the establishment of a public-private collaborative operation platform, and the improvement of legal and institutional foundations.”
Meanwhile, the discussion, hosted and organised by lawmakers Min Hong-cheol (Democratic Party of Korea, Gimhae-gap, Gyeongnam) and Kim Jeong-ho (Democratic Party of Korea, Gimhae-eul, Gyeongnam), was attended by a large number of industry representatives, who exchanged views on the current state of wildfire prevention policy operations and measures for improvement.
The discussion featured presentations and a comprehensive debate on topics including ▲the current state of wildfire prevention policy operations and measures for improvement (Hwang Jeong-seok, Director of the Wildfire Policy and Technology Research Institute) ▲the present and future of modern large-scale wildfires (Dr Jang Jae-young, Forest Holdings) ▲establishing a one-stop system and a multi-dimensional response system through AI (Bang Gi-seong, Chairman of the Korea Disaster Prevention Association; Lee Byeong-seok, Professor at Soonchunhyang University; Lee Hwan-ho, CEO of CLEVI) ▲measures for establishing an integrated management system for each stage of wildfire disaster management using advanced technologies (Dr Kwon Chun-geun, National Institute of Forest Science, Korea Forest Service).
In his opening remarks, lawmaker Min Hong-cheol emphasised, “The large-scale wildfires that occurred along the east coast and in northern Gyeongsangbuk-do in March this year served as an opportunity to reflect on the current state of Korea’s disaster response system. Wildfire management policy must integrate the entire process into a one-stop system, from the prevention stage of detecting and blocking wildfires to rapid and efficient firefighting and a recovery system with resilience.”
Presenters and guests pose for a commemorative photograph at the discussion on ‘Measures for Establishing a One-Stop System for the Prevention, Suppression and Restoration of Large-Scale Wildfire Disasters’, held at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building on 31 July. [Photo: Reporter Jo Jeong-hun]
Reporter Jo Jeong-hun [email protected]
Source: Electimes (Reporter Jo Jeong-hun) | https://www.electimes.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=358521