Total Economic Valuation of the Damages From Forest Fires: Case Study Prozor-Rama Municipality

Abstract

UDK 630*6:630*43(497.6 Prozor-Rama)
 630*43:630*6(497.6 Prozor-Rama
 Despite of the significant activities on the forest fires prevention, number of forest fires is constantly growing worldwide causing tremendous direct and indirect damages. Direct damages are referring to the losses on timber and other forest products, fire fighting and remediation costs as well as costs of fire sites restoration. Indirect damages are referring to the negative impacts of forest fires on various ecosystem services and overall conditions of environment. Despite of the fact that indirect damages could be far greater than direct ones, in most of the cases in Bosnia- Herzegovina, they are not included in the assessment of the damages and methodology for their calculation is not developed yet.
 The goal of this paper is to conduct the economic valorisation of direct and indirect damages from forest fires at the territory of Prozor-Rama municipality in 10-years period in which the scope and frequency of the forest fires were determined. The methodology that is used in this paper is developed by European experts on assessment of socio-economic damages from forest fires in Europe (PETTENELLA et al, 2008). Formula for calculation of damages of some functions and values of forests are partially modified due to the specific conditions of forest management practice and characteristics of forest stands, while some of them were excluded from assessment since they required additional research for their valuation. Calculated values of the damages are 11 times greater than those that are presented in the Register of the damages from forest fires of the Public Forest Enterprise „Šume Herceg-Bosne“. Modified method could be a sound basis for development of methodology for assessment of the damages from forest fires and total economic valuation of forest ecosystems in Bosnia-Herzegovina.