Forest Fire Management
in Ghumsur Forests, Ganjam District: Insights from Delphi Method
Behera Sudarsan, Jena Damodar, Mahala Biranchi Kumar and Dibiat Nibal
Disaster Advances; Vol. 17(7); 1-9; doi:
https://doi.org/10.25303/177da0109; (2024)
Abstract
Forests in the Ghumsur, Ganjam district in Odisha, are considered ecological communities
and constitute a source of livelihood for most of its inhabitants. Despite efforts
to manage wildfires, they occur frequently. Hence, an analytical study of fire management
using the Delphi method was deemed necessary by categorizing the subject into three
main issues (causes of forest fires, their impacts and control methods). The research
involved 35 experts who were specialized and interested in forest management.
One of the major challenges in forest fire management is human activities within
the forest (land clearing and agricultural practices). According to expert opinions,
the forest fire challenges can be addressed with a range of future solutions, with
the most important being surveillance systems and drones. The Delphi method can
be used to better understand the subject of forest fire management and engage stakeholders
and decision-makers in taking stringent actions in this regard.
