Vulnerabilities Montenegro

In the last 15 years in Montenegro, there were 1007 major forest fires, where an area of 15,300 acres was burned, and about 500,000 m3 of timber damaged or destroyed. Especially critical were the years of 2000 and 2003, when there was an extremely high number of forest fires in the region of south-eastern Europe which destroyed large forest areas (more than 300 fires were registered in Montenegro only in 2003, when nearly 2500 ha of forest areas were burned) (1).

In Montenegro the most endangered forests with respect to forest fires are in the coastal and central region of Montenegro, where the bioclimatic conditions and high air temperature in summer period and vegetation characteristics are conducive to the emergence and development of fire. Particularly critical period for the occurrence of fire includes the months of July and August, when the intensity of rainfall is very low and the air temperature is extremely high, as well as the months of February and March - during dry and warmer winter conditions. Depending on these parameters, the area of Montenegro can be divided into:

• the area of high fire risk - the southern and middle regions;
• the area of increased fire risk - the south-western and western part – covered by conifers;
• the area of moderate fire danger - oak, elm and other broadleaf stands.

References

The references below are cited in full in a separate map 'References'. Please click here if you are looking for the full references for Montenegro.

1. Ministry for Spatial Planning and Environment of the Republic of Montenegro (2010)