Canada, Portugal sign memorandum of understanding for fighting wildfires

By Firdevs Bulut Kartal

TORONTO (AA) - Canada and Portugal signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation on fighting wildland fires and protecting communities against the threats of climate change, according to a statement by Canada on Thursday.

Canada already faces one of the most severe wildfire seasons in its history, and all around the world, the wildfire seasons have become longer and more extreme.

"That’s why Elise Racicot, Ambassador of Canada to Portugal, and Tiago Oliveira, Chair of the Board of Directors for the Agency for Integrated Rural Fire Management of the Portuguese Republic, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen Canada and Portugal’s cooperation on combating and mitigating wildland fires and protecting communities in the face of climate change–driven threats," said the statement.

The MoU between the Natural Resources Canada and the Agency for Integrated Rural Fire Management of the Portuguese Republic ensures more effective and efficient mutual wildfire assistance between the two countries.

They will set out procedures to exchange wildfire-fighting resources and create a framework for mutual cooperation and support.

"This arrangement sets out how resources can be exchanged between Portugal and Canada, providing enhanced protection by making it more efficient for resources to cross international borders to suppress wildfires in the other country," said the statement.

The arrangement shows how international cooperation can help countries manage the increasing challenges of extreme weather events, it said.

The two countries vowed to work together to protect communities in the face of climate change.

Canada's National Forestry Database showed that there have been more than 3,000 wildfires in the first six months of 2023, burning nearly 20 million acres of land, surpassing Canada's previous record for land burned in 1989.