EWMI ACCESS supports a group of volunteer firefighters in the Borjomi municipality who address the problem of frequent wildfires in the Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park, one of the largest national parks in Europe. According to Georgian environmentalists, 90% of forest fires in Georgia start due to man-made causes. Considering the scale and severity of the problem, it is of utmost importance to increase public awareness and engagement in prevention and mitigation of the wildfires.
To this purpose, CSO NACRES formed a group of volunteer firefighters in Borjomi two years ago. They went through relevant trainings and skills-development exercises and since then are engaged in awareness-raising campaigns in schools and villages of Borjomi municipality.
With the support of EWMI ACCESS, in August the volunteer firefighters launched a week-long campaign aimed at informing Borjomi residents and visitors about the underlying causes of forest fires and fire risks. This campaign included open-air events, distributing flyers, setting up fire-warning and informational banners near and in the forests, and sending out SMSs.
