Australia to share Indigenous fire management expertise

Todaywe announce a project to share world-leading fire management expertisedeveloped by Indigenous Australians to reduce greenhouse gas emissions andimprove land management outcomes in Botswana.

TheTraditional Fire Management project will improve savanna fire management andhelp the Government of Botswana develop emissions measuring techniques.Botswana's Okavango-Zambezi region is among the most affected areas in theworld by savanna fires, which destroy infrastructure, stagnate economicproductivity and emit large amounts of greenhouse gases.

Theproject will provide opportunities for Australian Indigenous fire managementworkers to share their expertise overseas and to utilise Australia's emissionsaccounting and reporting capability.

Indigenousfire management techniques have been fostered and deployed through theAustralian Government's Emissions Reduction Fund where Indigenous rangers,pastoralists and land managers receive Australian Carbon Credit Units forreducing emissions from savanna fires across northern Australia. Thesepractices have attracted significant international interest.

The$3.8 million project has the potential to encourage investment in firemanagement globally, driving greater efforts to reduce land-based emissions.