The protection of the world's environment cannot be effective without national and international fire management policies for natural, semi-natural and cultural landscapes and ecosystems that constitute an essential part of the habitable landscape, contributing to the functioning of the global 'life support' system.
National and international policies must be designed to meet the specific local and the common global threats from wildfires, to curb excessive application of fire in land-use change and to promote the ecologically sound and sustainable application of fire in ecosystem management and land use. These policies must take into consideration the cross-cutting issues such as emissions from vegetation fires and their impacts on atmosphere, climate, human health and human security, and must be developed cooperatively with all the stakeholders involved in the sustainable use and protection of the environment and humanity.
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