Understand the Index

Background

The Bhutan Forest Fire Exposure Index is an online platform developed to visualise forest fire severity and exposure across Bhutan. Bhutan, a nation deeply committed to environmental conservation, faces increasing threats from forest fires, exacerbated by climate change. With 69% of its terrain covered by forests and 26% designated as protected areas, the country's rich biodiversity and the well-being of its communities are at risk. This platform assists government agencies, local authorities, and communities in identifying high-exposure areas and prioritising long-term preparedness efforts.

Funded by the World Bank and administered by the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), the platform was developed in partnership with Bhutan’s Department of Local Governance & Disaster Management and Department of Forests and Park Services. The primary objectives of the Forest Fire Severity and Exposure Indices are to provide accurate, updated data on forest fire risks across Bhutan, empowering stakeholders with essential tools for effective risk management.

By offering detailed insights into forest fire exposure levels, the platform supports key objectives, including:

• Enhancing decision-making processes for forest fire prevention and response
• Improving resource allocation for effective mitigation
• Fostering community engagement and proactive management practices
• Supporting long-term resilience planning against climate change impacts

The platform benefits diverse groups:

• Communities: Gain enhanced awareness and preparedness, leading to better protection of lives and property.
• Government: Improve strategic planning and efficient resource allocation for forest fire mitigation and response.
• Stakeholders: Access up-to-date, actionable data that guides investment and development strategies.

Ultimately, this tool supports effective preparedness and mitigation strategies, enabling Bhutan’s communities, government agencies, and stakeholders to take informed action to protect lives, property, and natural resources, thereby enhancing resilience against forest fire threats.

 

Key Features of the Map

The Bhutan Forest Fire Exposure Index platform offers two essential layers that help visualise bushfire risk in the region:

• Wildfire Severity Index: This layer represents a prediction of the potential severity of a bushfire in a given area. It considers critical factors like vegetation type, density, topography (e.g., slope of the land), and climate to estimate how severe a bushfire might become if it ignites. The severity layer is valuable for local governments to identify high-severity areas where bushfires are likely to be more intense, and it can inform fuel reduction and mitigation strategies.
• Wildfire Exposure Index: This layer focuses on the potential exposure of buildings and communities to bushfires, based primarily on their proximity to forest and surrounding vegetation. The closer a building is to high-density vegetation or forest, the higher the exposure. This index helps communities and authorities prioritise areas where homes and critical infrastructure are most exposed and plan safety measures accordingly.

Both of these indices—the Wildfire Severity Index and the Wildfire Exposure Index—are derived from a framework called the Geoneon Wildfire Data Stack. This stack is built using a series of input layers that are essential to understanding and modelling bushfire exposure. These layers include:

• Buildings: Residential, commercial, industrial, and infrastructure building footprints, which provide a clear understanding of where structures are located relative to vegetation.
• Climate: Climate data, including historical weather patterns that influence vegetation.
• Vegetation: Vegetation maps, showing the type and density of vegetation in the area, which is the primary fuel source for forest fires.
• Topography: Elevation and slope data, which are key for understanding severity.
• Imagery: High-resolution satellite imagery that provides a visual foundation for mapping and monitoring the area.

By combining these inputs, the Geoneon Wildfire Data Stack produces the two output layers—Wildfire Severity and Wildfire Exposure—that provide a picture of bushfire exposure in Bhutan.

 

Benefits and Applications of the Index

The Bhutan Forest Fire Exposure Index is a powerful tool for forest fire mitigation, leveraging advanced algorithms, high-resolution mapping, and comprehensive data to provide a detailed assessment of fire exposure for buildings and communities. It is designed to support government agencies, local authorities, and the public in understanding and addressing forest fire risks in a practical and actionable way.

By offering precise geospatial data, the index enables Bhutan’s authorities to:

• Prioritise Safety Measures: Identify areas with the highest exposure, allowing government agencies to develop targeted strategies to protect communities, critical assets, and Bhutan’s natural resources.
• Optimise Resource Allocation: Efficiently allocate resources to areas most at risk, ensuring that funds and efforts are directed to where they are most needed to mitigate forest fire impacts.

In addition to benefiting government agencies, the Bhutan Forest Fire Exposure Index serves as a public resource, empowering residents with insights into their specific exposure to forest fires. This knowledge is vital for informed decision-making and encourages proactive preparedness strategies.

Key Benefits:

• Enhanced Mitigation Strategies: Improve Bhutan’s hazard readiness by refining mitigation plans, reducing potential impacts, and strengthening emergency response.
• Community Engagement and Communication: Encourage risk awareness within communities, fostering a proactive approach and collective action for forest fire prevention and response.
• Long-term Resilience Planning: Support sustainable rebuilding and recovery efforts that increase community resilience to future forest fires.
• Informed Investment and Development: Provide stakeholders with up-to-date, actionable data, helping to guide investments and development strategies in fire-prone areas.
• Efficient Resource Allocation: Maximise the impact of resource deployment by focusing efforts on areas with the highest exposure and risk.
• Improved Risk Assessments: Conduct more detailed and reliable hazard evaluations, allowing for precise and timely assessments of forest fire risks.

By implementing the Bhutan Forest Fire Severity and Exposure Indices, this project delivers substantial benefits to diverse groups, including local communities, government agencies, and key stakeholders, enhancing Bhutan’s overall resilience to the growing threat of forest fires.

 

Disclaimer

The Bhutan Forest Fire Exposure Index (the Index) is intended as a mitigation tool to enhance understanding and planning related to forest fire risks in Bhutan. The Index is based on methodologies reviewed and validated by experts specializing in natural hazard risk research, fire analysis, and forestry. Advanced processing methods have been applied to yield results aligned with recognized forest fire exposure analyses from academic and scientific literature.

Users should note that the Index does not assess specific physical properties of buildings, such as roofing materials, construction elements, or other structural details. Hazard impacts in surrounding areas may lead to indirect effects on others, irrespective of an individual area’s exposure profile as portrayed by the Index.

By accessing and using the Index, users acknowledge and accept the following limitations and agree to use this tool responsibly:

• Limitation of Liability: The developers, contributors, and administrators of the Index are not liable for any damage, loss, injury, or inconvenience resulting from its use. Users are encouraged to use this information responsibly as part of a comprehensive decision-making process.

• No Warranty: The Index information is provided “as is” without warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for a particular purpose of the data presented.

• Not a Substitute for Professional Advice: The Index is not a replacement for professional advice and should not be the sole basis for major decisions. Users should consult relevant professionals or authorities regarding actions related to forest fire preparedness, mitigation, and response.

• Dynamic Nature of Data: The environmental data underlying the Index is subject to change due to natural processes, and therefore, the Index should be regarded as a dynamic resource representing conditions at the time of data collection. Users should recognize that actual conditions may differ, and regular updates and consultation of supplementary resources are advised.

• Data Interpretation: The Index is built on the interpretation of complex data, and varying interpretations can lead to different conclusions. Users should be mindful of this variability when using the Index.

• Use at Your Own Risk: By using the Index, users agree to assume all risks associated with the information provided, acknowledging the limitations and variability inherent in this type of data analysis.

By proceeding to use the Index, users acknowledge and agree to the terms outlined in this disclaimer.