Mapping the risk of forest fires in Algeria: Application of the forest of Guetarnia in Western Algeria

Abstract

The methods applied in Algeria for the prevention and fight against the fires remain fairly traditional and have proved to be ineffective in reducing the disastrous impact of this phenomenon. However, the aim of this work is to analyse a forest ecosystem that is fairly representative of the whole of the forests in Algeria, on plan risk and vulnerability of the environment for a better control of risk. Using modern geomatics techniques to map the degree of risk of fires and analysis the space: like satellite imagery spatial data and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The Guetarnia forest in western Algeria has been retained; seven thematic maps have been developed and have helped to develop a sensitivity map to depict the fire risk.