Lebanon Uses an Online GIS Tool to Improve Forest Fire Response

As a result of climate change, Lebanon has experienced increased wildfires. Due to understaffing and limited infrastructure, emergency relief organizations in the past often had difficulty responding to these events effectively. Additionally, data collection efforts about fires were often fragmented among various government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and international bodies, leading to inconsistencies and information gaps. This siloed nature of information sharing resulted in slower response times and less critical data being made available to the public during an emergency.

Today, the National Council for Scientific Research of Lebanon (CNRS-L) has embraced geographic information system (GIS) technology to enhance fire response capabilities and public access to data. Since 2016, CNRS-L has been collecting data on forest fires, utilizing factors such as land cover, population density, and other relevant variables to pinpoint areas most susceptible to wildfires across the country. This comprehensive dataset served as the foundation for the development of the National Early Warning System Platform (NEWSP), an online tool that leverages GIS to facilitate improved emergency services in Lebanon and foster greater transparency by giving the public access to essential data.

CNRS-L staff collected information from past fires, weather model information, and various spatial datasets from government agencies to set up NEWSP. Sharing information in a common data environment using ArcGIS Online as the main host to store interactive dashboards and maps allowed entities like the Lebanese Civil Defense, the Disaster Risk Management Unit, and the Ministry of Environment to help leaders make critical decisions faster in emergencies. ArcGIS Pro was used for data collection, analysis, modeling, and remote sensing. Various spatial datasets and weather information were integrated to analyze fire-prone areas and predict fire behavior. 

The result of NEWSP was to forecast fire danger up to 72 hours in advance. Using NEWSP, staff from CNRS-L could map real-time data during fires, enabling emergency responders and relief organizations to more efficiently allocate resources to residents most in need. Additionally, Lebanon’s Ministry of Interior and Municipalities was able to release data from NEWSP to stakeholders and citizens via social media platforms, with warnings issued when necessary. This forecast is elaborated based on cross-tabulation between the Fire Weather Index and the Fire Risk Map of Lebanon’s GIS tools, which allowed CNRS-L to simulate how a fire might spread under various weather conditions and landscape factors. This information helped in forecasting the direction and intensity of fires and aided in improved evacuation planning and resource positioning for villages under higher risk.  

Using GIS has helped emergency response staff make faster and more informed decisions, and reduced the overall time needed to control and mitigate wildfires. This has led to reduced costs and improved efficiency for Lebanon’s emergency relief organizations involved in fire response.

NEWSP is now being used to collect data from the past 20 years about other environmental risk factors beyond wildfires. Populated areas, schools, and other geographic locations that are vulnerable to floods, landslides, erosion, and drought are being mapped with layers related to proximity to hospitals, civil defense, airports, and other critical resources.

Currently, NEWSP is also being used to communicate early warning messages for forest fire potentiality in Lebanon through a daily bulletin distributed on social media and through the NEWSP website. The website leverages the powerful capabilities of ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript, seamlessly integrating dynamic mapping functionalities into reports. Visually engaging maps are generated directly within the content of the report, enhancing data visualization and analysis. Additionally, the incorporation of featured layers enriches the depth of information presented in the reports. Alerts are also communicated daily to the Ministry of Interior Affairs and Lebanon’s various municipalities, civil defense stakeholders, and first responders. 

CNRS-L also developed a mobile application in conjunction with NEWSP called Leb-Alerts. The custom app embeds GIS components to provide users with a comprehensive geospatial experience on handheld devices. Leb-Alerts allows users to access two interactive dashboards and participate in surveys. For CNRS-L, implementing GIS has led to improvements in decision-making and data collection as well as collaboration and transparency among the public. 

Moving forward, the agency hopes to use the technology to improve post-fire assessment after an event, as GIS can help in conducting damage assessments and monitoring recovery efforts. Maps and dashboards can be used to document the extent of the fire's impact, identify areas needing rehabilitation, and track progress in restoring affected ecosystems. CNRS-L is working on specific dashboards for first responders in Lebanon's different regions, with the hope that each city or village can have its own maps for fire forecasting, aiding an even faster response at the local level.