Forest Fire Management in Ghumsur Forests, Ganjam District: Insights from Delphi Method

Forests in the Ghumsur, Ganjam district in Odisha, are considered ecological communities and constitute a source of livelihood for most of its inhabitants. Despite efforts to manage wildfires, they occur frequently. Hence, an analytical study of fire management using the Delphi method was deemed necessary by categorizing the subject into three main issues (causes of forest fires, their impacts and control methods). The research involved 35 experts who were specialized and interested in forest management. One of the major challenges in forest fire management is human activities within the forest (land clearing and agricultural practices). According to expert opinions, the forest fire challenges can be addressed with a range of future solutions, with the most important being surveillance systems and drones. The Delphi method can be used to better understand the subject of forest fire management and engage stakeholders and decision-makers in taking stringent actions in this regard.