Croatia - Management of wildfire risk

This report summarizes the results of a rapid review of wildfire risk and management capacity in Croatia, and it highlights potential risk management priorities to inform policy dialogue and future research. The review considers capacity across multiple dimensions, including governance, understanding of wildfire risk, risk reduction and mitigation, early warning and public awareness, preparedness and emergency response, recovery and post-disaster financing, and cross-cutting topics such as social resilience and the role of the private sector. For each of these dimensions, the report draws on available information to review the general context and current arrangements, including key challenges and opportunities for improvement.

Across the country, an average of 73 percent of critical assets, including 94 percent of power lines and 97 percent of road segments, are located in areas with high or very high wildfire hazard. In the context of the country’s Mediterranean climate, changing agricultural land use, and tourism, wildfire risk is intensifying, particularly in coastal areas, hinterlands, and islands, and particularly during the spring and summer months. It is expected that wildfire risks and impacts will compound with heat and other extreme meteorological conditions arising from changes, leading to increased socioeconomic and environmental impacts.