Observational Evidence of the Need for Gender-Sensitive Approaches to Wildfires Locally and Globally: Case Study of 2018 Wildfire in Mati, Greece

Anastasia Zabaniotou, Anastasia Pritsa and Kyriakou E-A
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Anastasia Zabaniotou: Biomass Group, Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Anastasia Pritsa: Biomass Group, Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Kyriakou E-A: Biomass Group, Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-25

Abstract: The study takes an equality justice perspective to compare resilience against the controlled management of wildfires, for an effective preparedness, which is a prerequisite for equitable mitigation. The objectives were (a) conceptualizing wildfire mitigation by exploring the ties with gender equality to wildfire hazards, (b) taking the case of wildfire 2018 in Mati, Greece, to contribute reducing the country’s gender inequality, and (c) increasing resilience to climate change hazards by considering lessons learnt. The authors underscore the benefits of a workshop-based and instrumental case study methodology for unravelling evidence on the need for gender-sensitive approaches and tools for future planning at local, regional, and global scales. The case study unravels women’s lack of preparedness to wildfires in Greece, their absence in decision-making for fire management, and the need for capacity building to transform communities’ resilience. The literature research and the specific interviews conducted helped bring awareness to the wildfire’s dynamics, in alignment with the fundamental aspect of gender equality, and to ground recommendations for socio-ecological resilience transition and gender-sensitive approaches in fire management, from reactive fire-fighting to proactive integration. Although in the geographical-context, the study can bring widespread geographical awareness, bringing insights for relevance to similar areas worldwide.

Keywords: climate change; wildfires; resilience; gender equality; TARGET project; Greece (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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