Application du SIG et de la télédétection pour un outil cartographique d'aide à la gestion des feux de forêts dans la wilaya d'El Tarf.

Abstract

This study examines the risk space of wildfires in the forest tracts of the province of El Tarf (North-East of Algeria). Wildfires have been a nation-wide concern for more than a decade now, and the various actions taken to prevent and suppress them did not result in a significant drop in their number or a decrease in the area of burnt land. Measures of punctual treatment of the visible symptoms of wildfires having reached their limits, this research aims at designing new forms of operational maps to be used for the management of forest lands in order to reduce the number and impact of wildfires. Earth observation satellite data associated with the different types of forest fire information, once integrated into a geographic information system, have proved to be a reliable option for monitoring emergencies, identifying areas at risk, and mapping the extent of the fires. The geographical database compiled in this work is an extremely useful tool for understanding and monitoring wildfires and will provide managers and decision takers with valid arguments to justify their decisions.