Science and Universities

Elsa Pastor is and engineer, researcher at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPF) and coordinator of the WUICOM BCN project, beneficiary of the 2021 call for grants for research and innovation projects awarded by Barcelona City Council in collaboration with Fundació “la Caixa”. The project investigates resilient interface communities in the Barcelona fire, the situation in cities to cope with fires and the results obtained from the project. We talked to her about this project, its scope and its social repercussions.

Let’s start with your origins as a researcher. How did you come to dedicate yourself to research?

When I was an engineering student I became aware of my motivation for knowledge, of my interest in the challenge of solving complex real-world problems. It was clear to me that I wanted to do a PhD to get started in research, and you can see! Twenty years later, I am still dedicated to this, with an academic career as a lecturer and researcher at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia.

What motivated your interest in the field of research in which you work?

At the Centre for the Study of Technological Risk (CERTEC), where I carry out my research activity, we deal with aspects related to fire risk and safety in different areas such as urban, industrial and forestry. Fire is a captivating element that provides warmth and makes our lives much easier, but at the same time it has an enormous destructive power with a great social impact. This duality is simply fascinating. Moreover, understanding everything that happens during a fire and being able to develop and implement strategies to reduce its risk represents an exciting academic and technological challenge.

What lines of research are currently being carried out in the field of fire safety?

Research in the field of fire safety is currently in a phase of high activity and productivity. In the engineering field, a major theme is exploring applications of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to improve risk management and safety. This approach aims to anticipate risks and minimise their consequences more efficiently than has been done so far.

Let’s focus on the project you are working on, what are its precedents?

At CERTEC, we have been analysing the problem of fires in the forest-urban interface for many years, i.e. those fires that start in the forest but threaten urban developments and populated areas. Prior to this project, tools and methodologies had already been developed to analyse the vulnerability of property and infrastructure in urban developments. However, fire risk management in these areas is highly complex and requires a multidisciplinary approach to address its complexity in a comprehensive manner.

And what were the objectives you set yourselves?

The main objective of WUICOM was to carry out an integrated analysis of fire risk in the urban-wildland interface of Barcelona, that is, in the mountain neighbourhoods of Collserola, focusing on the vulnerability of society, ecosystems, buildings and infrastructures. And then to develop specific strategies for the city to increase fire resilience in the most vulnerable areas.

What has this research consisted of?

It has been an interdisciplinary work, where researchers with diverse experiences have come together. We have exploited synergies between fire engineering, landscape architecture and disaster management sociology to carry out our analyses and develop risk management proposals to transform mountain neighbourhoods into more fire-resilient communities.

Has the public been involved in this project?

In order to carry out our work, we have fortunately had spaces for co-creation with the public and with the help and complicity of the organisations involved in fire risk management in Collserola. Specifically, we have worked intensively in the neighbourhoods of Sant Genís dels Agudells and Can Rectoret. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the residents and organisations in both neighbourhoods for their collaboration, which has been essential for the development of our methods and for obtaining results.

So, what were the results obtained?

The main result has been the development of a sustainable action plan (including social, environmental and structural) for fire resilience in particularly vulnerable areas of Barcelona. We have done this using cutting-edge methodologies developed within the project, which we are making available to the scientific community so that this work can be replicated in other places. Such as fire simulation models or Virtual Reality tools, among others.

What conclusions can be drawn from these results?

That wildland-urban interface areas in metropolitan areas are highly complex due to their population diversity, the high concentration of structures, critical infrastructures and the ecosystem services they provide, such as improved air quality or spaces for enjoying nature. An integrated approach is needed to address fire risk management in these areas, considering social, environmental and structural aspects at the same time.

Are there social repercussions in the city as a result of such circumstantial results?

With the results of WUICOM, we give tools to the Barcelona City Council and other entities involved in fire risk management in Collserola to prioritise actions for fire resilience. The implementation of the plan we propose will help to minimise fire risk at both individual and collective levels. In addition, we believe that many of the proposals can also fit in other populated areas with high fire risk.

And what new challenges do you think should be addressed as a result of this situation?

WUICOM has been a pilot project, with a specific research budget to generate all this knowledge. What is needed now is for the action plan to be implemented in the neighbourhoods and to bear fruit in the event of a fire. This requires a joint effort and a continuous line of funding to transform mountain neighbourhoods and their residents into resilient communities. Given the current climate crisis, doing this work requires a global paradigm shift and a good deal of political will. Unfortunately, I do not know if we are in a position to take this step?

How will this line of research be continued?

The methods developed in WUICOM will be scaled up and adapted to meet the challenges of fire risk reduction in other vulnerable areas in Europe. The WUICOM consortium will be expanded with other European research groups in order to replicate this work in other vulnerable areas in southern, central and northern Europe. In this case, the funding will come from the European Civil Protection Agency to whom I would like to express my gratitude for once again placing their trust in us.

How can we as a society help to reduce this risk?

 Wildfire risk is a shared responsibility. Each of us can help to minimise it, even if we are not strictly residents of interface areas. In our daily lives we make choices related to our consumption habits that may (or may not) influence fire risk management. Consuming local products, for example, is a direct way of supporting the primary sector (agriculture, livestock), which is fundamental for risk management.