An online workshop has contributed to the open sharing of knowledge and expertise between Australian and French fire experts. The Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, in partnership with the French Embassy in Australia, the Group of Eight, and Safe Cluster in France, held the three-day France–Australia Bushfire Science Workshop in mid-September to promote and extend the important collaboration of bushfire research between the two countries. Replay each session here.

The event was opened by the Ambassador of France to Australia, Christophe Penot, who highlighted the benefits of France and Australia collaborating to tackle this global crisis.

“As much as the operational solidarity can be strengthened, our scientific capabilities can also benefit from more intense exchanges and information sharing,” Ambassador Penot said.

“France and Australia have a lot to learn from each other and this is exactly the purpose of the workshop – to share our tools, our knowledge and our strength in order to respond in the best possible way to the forthcoming global changes that will affect us all.”

The virtual workshop enabled more than 40 French and Australian researchers, including key researchers, policymakers, government officials and agency representatives, to share their knowledge with an international audience of around 100 people.  Like Australia, France and other parts of Europe have recently experienced devastating bushfires and the workshop provided an opportunity to share practices and knowledge on how to reduce the global and local impact of such damaging events.

Prof Margaret Gardner, Chair of the Group of Eight, praised the benefits of expert collaboration and emphasised the importance of recognising bushfires as a global crisis.

“Knowledge has no borders,” Prof Gardner said.

Read the full article and view the presentations on the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC website, feauturing Dr Marta Yebra