GUARDIAN Green Urban Actions for Resilient Fire Defense of the Interface Area
The European Partnership on Climate Adaption has considered the so-called urban-forest interface fire as one of the main impacts in urban areas. According to the IPCCC, the possibility of a forest fire has increased as a result of climate change, making a fire more likely to affect urban areas. The risk of fire in urban areas is especially high in Central Europe and the Mediterranean basin. The Ribaroja and Paterna municipalities share the forest area of "La Vallesa" and the Río Tùria Natural Park which, due to their high level of urbanization and integration within the urban structure, are subject to a high risk of fire. Should a fire break out in this highly populated area, it would cause significant economic losses and could put the lives of many people at risk.
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GUARDIAN The GUARDIAN project has been selected in the III call of the UIA (Urban Innovative Actions) for funding. This European Union initiative has funds to support innovative measures in the field of sustainable urban development.
The main idea of the project is focused on the use of treated water for defense against fires in the Turia Natural Park. In addition, the project proposes a set of solutions that will improve the resilience of the urban-forest interface.
GUARDIAN
The project Wasted wáter from the EDAR Camp Turia II
Advanced treatment plant for removal of emerging pollutants
Optimized irrigation based on monitoring of atmospheric variables to ensure optimal moisture content in vegetation. Irrigation will slow the progress of the fire.
Water storage
Pre-defensive irrigation to increase humidity level before the impact of a fire front. This will lessen the impact of the fire if it does occur.
La Vallesa reservoir
Defensive irrigation in case the fire hits. This contributes to extinguishing the fire without putting people in danger.
GUARDIAN
Use of reclaimed water for firefighting use
The GUARDIAN project proposes an innovative system based on the elimination of emerging pollutants. Nowadasy, the treatment plants do not eliminate this type of pollutant. Therefore, the project will be to analyze the disposal system for future installations.
Hydraulic infrastructure
The project has a Water Regeneration Station (ERA), five storage tanks and 6,500 meters of pipes, which will allow the water to be transported from the ERA to the points where the 42 water cannons are installed, also called SIDEINFO towers.
Innovation
The project also intends to analyze how the characteristics of the soil and the atmospheric conditions act on the hydric state of the vegetation. Since the summer of 2020, the Polytechnic University of Valencia has been installing sensors in the soil and in the trees of the La Vallesa area to quantify water relations and study the effect of irrigation using the Sideinfo towers. With these data, the hydrological knowledge of the mountain will be deepened and optimal irrigation patterns to be applied by the permanently installed towers can be determined.
Forest management works
Silvicultural treatment works include clearing tasks, pruning trees, and thinning trees that are diseased or that provide excessive density, as well as the elimination of cane fields. In total, more than 37 hectares of a strategic nature will be managed in order to prevent an urban fire from spreading to the Natural Park, and a fire in the Turia or its surroundings from affecting populated areas. In the second phase of the work, the GUARDIAN project teams are planting more than 2,000 units of autochthonous Mediterranean species with lower
combustibility (ash, box, rowan, mastic, myrtle or durillo, among others) which will act, together with prescribed irrigation, such as true green barriers.
Training and information to the population to increase the level of self-defense The project aims to carry out individualized risk maps. In this way, the neighbors in the
area will be able to know the risk of fire in their homes. At the same time, awareness training will be held for the population. Courses, workshops, drills will be held, and pyrogardening guides (fire-resistant gardens) will be developed.
Action área and project outline
Reclaimed water distribution lines Strategic areas of vegetation management:: Forestry Farming
Planta piloto Lago de la Vallesa
THE WORK OF EACH OF THE PARTNERS IN THE PROJECT:
THE WORK OF EACH OF THE PARTNERS IN THE PROJECT:
LAST NEWS
NEXT STEPS: VISIT OF THE COUNCIL OF THE GENERALITAT VALENCIANA MIREIA MOLLÀ INSTALLATION OF ALL SIDEINFO TOWERS FIRST TESTS OF THE HYDRAULIC INFRASTRUCTURE FIRST FOREST SENSORIZATION ANALYSIS
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