Assessment of Risk Perception and Effective Fire Mitigation Measures in Siahkal Forest Area in Guilan Province

Public-Private-People Partnership (4P) is important to promote and improve wildfire prevention and control through research and evaluation. Understanding and collaboration among local residents and different jurisdictions are needed, such as municipalities and provincial land management agencies. The collaborative action requires the adoption and acceptance of fire management plans and the participation of local communities and residents in fire risk mitigation measures. In 2019, we conducted a field survey of a random sample (n = 120) of local communities in one of the greatest fire-risk areas in Siahkal County in Guilan province. The survey asked about respondents’ risk perceptions, wildfire experiences, knowledge of wildfire, awareness of mitigation, adoption of mitigation measures, and demographic factors and social characteristics. Based on the results, with respect to fire causes, the respondent's perceptions was realistic at the general level, although the majority of respondents rated the wildfire risk to their environment as low to moderate. The studied community was less familiar with fire mitigation activities and a general lack of awareness about the wildfire risk and fire mitigation behaviors has emerged from the study. At a broad level, the results of this study visualize the importance of specifying the human dimension of wildfire risk. Assessing human perceptions and detailed information on fire causes, impacts, and governance policies are crucial to improving the effectiveness of fire management activities. The results of these studies will support effective fire management plans that are more adapted to local conditions and more general acceptance by society.