Forest fire in Thailand: Spatio-temporal distribution and future risk assessment

Abstract

Understanding the spatiotemporal distribution of forest fires and future predictions is very important for management strategies. To identify the present status of forest fires in the Kingdom of Thailand and their risk in the future, ten-year forest fire data were used, and a forest fire hotspot was prepared. A geospatial technique was used in the study to characterize the parameters of forest fires in the country and identify future forest fire risk areas. Most of the forest fires in the country were found to be seasonal. Deciduous forests in higher elevations and on moderate slopes were most vulnerable to forest fire. The level of aridity, soil moisture, temperature, precipitation, vegetation status, and topography influenced the spatiotemporal distribution of forest fires in the country. Greater than 50% of fire risks were observed in 22 administrative divisions, and 17 of the 209 protected areas are also in the high-risk category. The final forest fire hotspot map can be used in policy development and successful management strategies. A better monitoring strategy should be used in the fire hotspot areas as a precautionary measure to minimize the anthropogenic causes of forest fires.