Participatory Construction of Wildfire Risk Scenarios in the Brazilian Amazon and galicia to Advance Risk Governance

Abstract

This dissertation focuses on wildfire risk governance in the state of Rondônia (Brazilian Amazon) and in Galicia (Spain). Wildfires affect both areas, on different scales and in different contexts, but they present similar challenges. Wildfires are considered as historic processes, which complexity has been increasing over time because of changes resulting from anthropogenic action, induced by multiple socio-economic processes and political decisions. The role of the main actors and the risk communication are analyzed as well as the possibilities of the use of participative techniques as instruments that allow social learning process about disaster risk. For that purpose, interviews with key-actors and focus groups were used as a means of balancing risk factors. Via the negotiation and collective learning processes it is possible to tackle the complexity of the problem and construct future wildfire risk scenarios, which allows an interpretation of current and potential conditions in which risk governance is necessary for both studied areas. The social and political actors’ participation in the process encourages the improvement of risk management and participative governance.