👥 Population
Exposure maps the presence of population and social facilities/basic services. Vulnerability combines population in the Wildland–Urban Interface (WUI) with social-facility importance.
CLIMATE HAZARD RISK ASSESSMENT
Wildfires
Asset-Specific Wildfire Risk
The final ClimEmpower wildfire methodology differentiates risk for Population, Ecosystems/Biodiversity, Infrastructure, Tourism and Agriculture.
Wildfire hazard combines the Seasonal Fire Weather Index with Burnable Vegetation. Burnable Vegetation is explicitly assigned to Hazard. Exposure and vulnerability variables are asset-specific, and variables within each component are aggregated using equal weighting.
5 risk profilesPopulation, Ecosystems/Biodiversity, Infrastructure, Tourism and Agriculture
FWI + vegetationTwo wildfire hazard variables, equally weighted
METHOD OVERVIEW
Asset-Specific Wildfire Risk
The assessment combines a mapped climate hazard with the people, assets or ecosystems exposed to it and their vulnerability. Sector-specific indicators then produce the final risk result.
HHazardIntensity & extent
×
EExposurePeople & assets
×
VVulnerabilitySensitivity & capacity
=
RRiskPotential impact
Population
Ecosystems / Biodiversity
Infrastructure
Tourism
Agriculture
Layer structure, input variables and scoring logic for the wildfires risk maps.
🌿 Ecosystems / Biodiversity
Protected Area Fraction represents exposure and the Ecological Vulnerability Index represents vulnerability.
🏭 Infrastructure
Exposure maps the presence of critical infrastructure. Vulnerability combines scored critical-infrastructure types with Dangerous Elements that can amplify cascading impacts.
🏨 Tourism
Exposure maps the presence of touristic infrastructure. Vulnerability scores accommodation types by their economic significance.
🌾 Agriculture
Exposure maps agriculturally used areas and forests. Vulnerability uses the economic vulnerability scoring of agricultural and forest land-cover classes.
RISK INDEX
Region-normalized
Wildfires Risk Index
Composite result of Hazard × Exposure × Vulnerability. After the component variables are equally weighted, the final map is normalized against the maximum calculated risk within each region and reclassified into five region-specific qualitative classes.
RISK FORMULA
Wildfires × Population
R = H × E × VHHazard
Seasonal Fire Weather Index
Meteorological fire danger based on temperature, humidity, wind speed and precipitation.
Copernicus Climate Data StoreBurnable Vegetation
Fuel available for fire ignition and spread; moved from Vulnerability to Hazard in the ClimEmpower Risk Methodology.
EFFIS fuel-types map / CORINE Land Cover 2018EExposure
Presence of Population
Binary presence of population in areas that can be affected by wildfire.
ESTAT Census Grid 2021 / Eurostat GISCOPresence of Social Facilities and Basic Services
Binary presence of critical social assets that can be affected by wildfire.
EU Basic Services data / EurostatVVulnerability
Population in Wildland–Urban Interface (WUI)
Sensitivity of settlements where houses meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland vegetation.
OSM Buildings × 2021 Census GridSocial Facilities and Basic Services
Facility types are scored by societal importance and the vulnerability of the people they serve.
EU Basic Services data / EurostatRisk map factsheetOpen the sector-specific infographic without leaving this page.
RISK FORMULA
Wildfires × Ecosystems / Biodiversity
R = H × E × VHHazard
Seasonal FWI + Burnable Vegetation
Meteorological fire danger and fuel availability.
Copernicus / EFFISEExposure
Protected Area Fraction
Presence of high-value natural assets.
Natura 2000 network or EFFIS Protected Area fractionVVulnerability
Ecological Vulnerability Index
Severity of ecosystem damage and recovery time, based on reclassified CORINE Land Cover.
CORINE Land CoverRisk map factsheetOpen the sector-specific infographic without leaving this page.
RISK FORMULA
Wildfires × Infrastructure
R = H × E × VHHazard
Seasonal FWI + Burnable Vegetation
Meteorological fire danger and fuel availability.
Copernicus / EFFISEExposure
Presence of Critical Infrastructure
Binary presence of energy production/transport, waste/water treatment and transport infrastructure.
Multiple infrastructure datasets listed in the methodologyVVulnerability
Dangerous Elements
Critical industrial facilities whose presence can amplify wildfire consequences through cascading failures.
European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR)Critical Infrastructure
Infrastructure types are scored by their criticality, including energy, transport and waste/water-treatment assets.
Multiple infrastructure datasets listed in the methodologyRisk map factsheetOpen the sector-specific infographic without leaving this page.
RISK FORMULA
Wildfires × Tourism
R = H × E × VHHazard
Seasonal FWI + Burnable Vegetation
Meteorological fire danger and fuel availability.
Copernicus / EFFISEExposure
Presence of Touristic Infrastructure
Binary presence of tourism accommodation that can be affected by wildfire.
OpenStreetMap tagsVVulnerability
Touristic Infrastructure
Accommodation types are scored by their economic significance, from chalet to hotel.
OpenStreetMap tagsRisk map factsheetOpen the sector-specific infographic without leaving this page.
RISK FORMULA
Wildfires × Agriculture
R = H × E × VHHazard
Seasonal FWI + Burnable Vegetation
Meteorological fire danger and fuel availability.
Copernicus / EFFISEExposure
Agriculturally Used Areas and Forests
Exposure based on reclassified CORINE Land Cover 2018.
CORINE Land Cover 2018VVulnerability
Economic Vulnerability of Agriculturally Used Areas and Forests
Land-cover classes are scored according to agricultural productivity, economic contribution and restoration cost.
CORINE Land Cover 2018Risk map factsheetOpen the sector-specific infographic without leaving this page.
HHazard Variables2 variables+
Seasonal Fire Weather Index (FWI)
Meteorological fire-danger indicator based on temperature, humidity, wind speed and precipitation.
DATA SOURCECopernicus Climate Data Store
RESOLUTION0.11° × 0.11°; re-warped to 100 m cells
Burnable Vegetation
Fuel available for ignition and spread; explicitly moved to the Hazard component.
DATA SOURCEEFFIS fuel-types map / CORINE Land Cover 2018
RESOLUTION100 m
EExposure Variables6 variables+
Presence of Population
Binary presence of population in areas that can be affected by wildfire.
DATA SOURCEESTAT Census Grid 2021 / Eurostat GISCO
RESOLUTION1 km × 1 km
Presence of Social Facilities and Basic Services
Binary presence of critical social assets affected by wildfire.
DATA SOURCEEU Basic Services data / Eurostat
RESOLUTIONSubnational / NUTS-3
Presence of Critical Infrastructure
Binary presence of energy, waste/water treatment and transport assets.
DATA SOURCEMultiple sources listed in final methodology
RESOLUTIONAsset / vector
Presence of Touristic Infrastructure
Binary presence of tourism accommodation.
DATA SOURCEOpenStreetMap tags
RESOLUTIONAsset / vector
Protected Area Fraction
Presence of high-value natural assets.
DATA SOURCENatura 2000 network or EFFIS
RESOLUTIONDataset dependent
Agriculturally Used Areas and Forests
Presence of agricultural and forest land from CORINE Land Cover 2018.
DATA SOURCECORINE Land Cover 2018
RESOLUTION100 m
VVulnerability Variables7 variables+
Population in Wildland–Urban Interface (WUI)
Human-settlement sensitivity where houses meet or intermingle with wildland vegetation.
DATA SOURCEOSM Buildings × 2021 Census Grid
RESOLUTIONLocal / Asset-level
Ecological Vulnerability Index
Potential ecosystem damage severity and recovery time for the ecosystems/biodiversity profile.
DATA SOURCEReclassified CORINE Land Cover
RESOLUTIONLand-cover dependent
Dangerous Elements
Industrial facilities whose presence can amplify wildfire severity through cascading impacts.
DATA SOURCEE-PRTR
RESOLUTIONAsset / vector
Social Facilities and Basic Services
Facility types scored by importance and social vulnerability.
DATA SOURCEEU Basic Services data / Eurostat
RESOLUTIONSubnational / NUTS-3
Critical Infrastructure
Infrastructure types scored by criticality.
DATA SOURCEMultiple infrastructure datasets listed in the methodology
RESOLUTIONAsset / vector
Touristic Infrastructure
Accommodation types scored by economic significance.
DATA SOURCEOpenStreetMap tags
RESOLUTIONAsset / vector
Economic Vulnerability of Agriculturally Used Areas and Forests
Agricultural and forest land-cover classes scored by economic vulnerability and restoration cost.
DATA SOURCECORINE Land Cover 2018
RESOLUTION100 m
Inclusive Conservation Practices
Society & Education➜ Involve local and Indigenous communities in conservation efforts and incorporate traditional ecological practices.
Regions: OBZPublic Awareness, Information, Education and Communication
Society & Education➜ Inform citizens and visitors about wildfire hazards through public communication, training and collaborative platforms.
Regions: Sicily, Troodos, AndalusCommunity and Indigenous Engagement
Society & Education➜ Involve local and Indigenous communities in wildfire prevention and management.
Regions: SicilyBuilding Codes and Land-Use Planning
Infrastructure➜ Use fire-resistant building requirements and safe distances from forested areas to reduce structural vulnerability.
Regions: SicilyWater Resource Management and Firefighting Infrastructure
Infrastructure➜ Ensure water supply, reservoirs and firefighting equipment are available in fire-prone areas.
Regions: SicilyReforestation and Forest Conservation
Environment & Nature➜ Use reforestation and forest conservation to support lower wildfire intensity and spread.
Regions: OBZ, AndalusAdaptive Ecosystem Management
Governance & Planning➜ Update management plans using monitoring results and emerging information on wildfire risk and vegetation health.
Regions: OBZ, SicilyFirebreaks & Fuel Management
Governance & Planning➜ Maintain firebreaks, tracks and water points and reduce fuel loads through vegetation management.
Regions: Troodos, SicilyEarly Warning Systems and Forecasting
Governance & Planning➜ Use real-time fire detection, weather monitoring and predictive models to enable timely response.
Regions: SicilyEmergency Preparedness and Response Plans
Governance & Planning➜ Develop evacuation routes, emergency shelters and response protocols for wildfire events.
Regions: SicilyHow measures reduce risk
Adaptation measures can reduce risk by changing hazard, exposure and/or vulnerability, depending on the measure and local context. The effect should be linked to the relevant risk component rather than assumed in advance.