Community-based fire management

About the course

This e-course introduces community-based fire management (CBFiM) as an approach within integrated fire management (IFM) that places local communities at the centre of decision-making, planning and action.

You will learn how fire behaves in socio-ecological systems, who makes decisions about fire and how knowledge, technology and social dynamics shape fire outcomes. The course highlights inclusive governance, gender equality and social inclusion, and the importance of knowledge, capacity and partnerships in managing fire effectively.

Using real-world examples, the course helps you understand key challenges and identify practical ways to build more collaborative, equitable and resilient CBFiM.

Cost and certification

This course is free. You will receive a certificate after completing all course requirements.

Competency tag

integrated fire management; sustainable forest management; inclusive governance

Target audience

This e-course is designed for people working on or interested in fire management across different sectors and levels. It brings together diverse perspectives and experiences to support more inclusive and effective approaches to CBFiM.

It is particularly relevant for:

civil society practitioners and trainers working on community empowerment, tenure, gender equity and rights-based approaches

community leaders and fire volunteers involved in fire prevention, monitoring, response and local coordination

national government officers responsible for policy, coordination and resource mobilization in fire, forestry and disaster risk reduction (DRR)

local government officers at district and provincial levels working on IFM, DRR, forestry, agriculture and land management

private-sector sustainability professionals and financial institutions working in agriculture and food systems in fire-prone areas

researchers and students interested in CBFiM, landscape governance and applied learning

Supported devices

For the best experience, use a laptop or desktop computer. Some interactive activities do not work well on smartphones or tablets. These activities are clearly marked in the course.

Use of AI in this course

Some course content was developed with the support of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including OpenAI. All content has been reviewed and validated by human editors to ensure accuracy and relevance. RECOFTC follows clear guidelines on the responsible and ethical use of AI. You can find more information in the course handout available on your dashboard.

Instructor’s note on responsible use of AI in RECOFTC e-learning.docx

Download the e-learning app

You can also access the course through RECOFTC’s free e-learning app, available on Google Play and the App Store.

About the initiative

This e-course is part of the Southeast Asia Fire Management Mechanism (SEA-FiMM), a regional initiative jointly established by RECOFTC, the Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation (APFNet) and Tropenbos International to strengthen regional cooperation, enhance capacity and promote effective and inclusive solutions for fire management. It is supported by the ‘Strengthening integrated fire management through community-based approach in Southeast Asia’ project under SEA-FiMM, which RECOFTC and APFNet co-implement.

Its development was informed by inputs from representatives of APFNet, the Regional Model Forest Network–Asia (RMFN–Asia) and RECOFTC, gathered through online consultations and follow-up discussions. The session materials draw on the ‘Guidelines on Community-based Fire Management in Tropical Forest Landscapes’, RECOFTC's decades of experience implementing community-based fire management in the region and other documented information.