Inditex is the first company to join the new public-private fund backed by the regional government of Galicia for anticipating forest fires

With a €9 million contribution, Inditex is the first company to sign up for the new public-private partnership fund launched by the regional government of Galicia to prevent local forest fires. The project will run for three years and directly benefit 118,000 people in 26 town councils in the counties of O Courel, Valdeorras, Monterrei, O Barbanza and Macizo Central Ourensano, where the statistics point to a concentration of forest fires of late.

Forest fires have been having increasing social, economic and environmental impacts worldwide in recent years. There is growing consensus among experts and scientists around the need to take action to be better prepared for the eventuality of extreme fires. Today’s novel agreement seeks to foster a resilient, living and less vulnerable countryside, restore areas affected by fire damage and pursue a prevention-focused land management policy. 

The regional government will draw up cross-cutting plans for the rural area covered by the fund, prioritising fire-prevention effects, while nurturing the spread of sustainable farming, breeding and forest activities in support of the local population. This project also contemplates the creation of fire breaks in the vegetation and tree cover in damaged rural areas to prevent future fires and reduce their environmental, social and economic impacts. Work is also planned in the areas of preventive forest care and species diversification. Lastly, the idea is to design and build defensive infrastructure to facilitate forest fire-fighting efforts.