The Sud, a territory on the front line of climate change
Europe is investing €5.9 million to protect the Mediterranean forest.
ON THE FRONT LINE Facing the risk of fire, 16 French and Italian partners gathered in La Londe-les-Maures for the MED STAR 2 project. On May 28, the town in Var became the epicenter of Mediterranean cooperation in the fight against forest fires. Sixteen French and Italian partners, including scientists, local authorities, firefighters, and foresters, met to launch the MED STAR 2 project.
Seize partenaires français et italiens, incluant scientifiques, collectivités, pompiers et forestiers, se sont réunis pour lancer le projet MED STAR 2.Doté d’un budget de 5,9 millions d’€ et prévu pour une durée de trois ans et demi, ce programme vise à construire une culture commune de la prévention et de l’anticipation face à un risque qui ignore les frontières.
With a budget of €5.9 million and planned for a duration of three and a half years, this program aims to build a common culture of prevention and anticipation in the face of a risk that knows no borders. 'Fire is never an abstraction. It has a smell.
It has a color. It has a sound. And above all, it leaves a memory,' recalled François de Canson, vice-president of the Région Sud.
It was with these strong words that the participants were welcomed, recalling the tangible reality of fires in the Var. As the most forested department in metropolitan France, the Var, like the entire Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, is particularly vulnerable. The region has 1.66 million hectares of forest, representing 53% of its territory.
The mayor of La Londe-les-Maures added: 'This exceptional natural heritage is today threatened by a combination of aggravating factors: climate change, recurrent periods of drought, violent winds, and growing urban pressure at the forest-housing interface. The Mediterranean is establishing itself as one of the world's climate change hotspots, placing its inhabitants and ecosystems on the front line.'
La Méditerranée est une mer semi-fermée. Elle est bordée par l'Europe, l'Afrique et l'Asie.Son climat est influencé par sa situation géographique. Les vents y jouent un rôle prépondérant.
Les vents dominants sont souvent liés aux systèmes de haute et basse pression. Ils peuvent être forts et changeants.Ces conditions météorologiques ont un impact sur la navigation. Elles influencent également les écosystèmes marins.
WAR ON FIRE 'In the face of this threat, the Région Sud has chosen not to submit but to act. Under the leadership of Renaud Muselier, the "Guerre du Feu" plan was launched in 2018, structured around three areas: prevent, fight, and rebuild. This commitment is reflected in significant financial resources.
In 2026, the Région is mobilizing €11.4 million for its forestry policy, of which 5.3 million is specifically targeted towards fire prevention. This strategy starts from a simple observation: anticipating is always cheaper than suffering the consequences of a disaster. Every hectare of forest saved represents a preserved landscape and a source of security for local populations,' insisted the vice-president of the Région Sud.
At the heart of the prevention tools is a measure considered fundamental but still insufficiently applied: the Obligations Légales de Débroussaillement (OLD). Clearing undergrowth is presented as an essential civic act that saves lives, protects homes, and facilitates the intervention of firefighters. 'However, the observation on the ground remains worrying.
In the Var, the effective implementation rate of OLD remains stagnant at around only 30%. To meet this challenge, the Région actively supports local authorities. Since 2019, 79 municipalities have benefited from support to develop and implement their OLD management plans, with a particular focus on education and awareness,' François de Canson continued.
EUROPEAN RESPONSE 'The MED STAR 2 project embodies the need for a coordinated response at the Mediterranean level. By bringing together experts from Toscane, Sardaigne, Ligurie, Corse, and the Région Sud, the program should enable the sharing of expertise and experience. In the face of common challenges – drought, winds, urbanization –, the pooling of knowledge and strategies has become obvious.
The initiative illustrates a concrete and protective Europe, which invests in the resilience of territories and promotes cooperation. The philosophy of the project is clear: since fire does not stop at administrative borders, the solidarity and action to fight it must not have any either. It is about building a future together where the richness of Mediterranean forests will be preserved for future generations,' concluded François de Canson, in charge of major risks at the Région Sud.
Photos DR.