Representations of wildfires in academia

Abstract

In response to intensifying wildfire seasons, scholars call for new wildfire policy and management approaches. Based on the assumption that science, policy, and management are integrated spheres of meaning-making, this article aims to contribute to reflective and creative research conversations about fire policy and management by directing analytical attention to the role of science. Using Causal Layered Analysis, we unpack scientific representations of three wildfire events/seasons in Sweden, the US, and Australia. The analysis illustrates that scientific representations of wildfires are contextual and promote particular policy recommendations and management interventions. Furthermore, the review identifies a discrepancy between dominant, more simplistic representations and the dynamic and complex representation emerging from an interdisciplinary reading of the literature. To address this discrepancy, we argue that there is a need to continuously renegotiate the boundaries of wildfires through rethinking the process underpinning the scientific representations to account for the complexity inherent in wildfire events.

Keywords

wildfire; representations; risk; transdisciplinary research; complexity

Published in

Journal of Environmental Planning and Management
2024, Volume: 67, number: 9, pages: 1952-1976
Publisher: ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR AND FRANCIS LTD

SLU Authors

• Holmgren, Sara

  • Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Associated SLU-program

SLU Forest Damage Center


UKÄ Subject classification

Environmental Management
Environmental Sciences


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2022.2150155

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/120576