Fire&Ice Workshop: Mapping boreal wildfire risk, population exposure, and health

Wildfires and Climate Change in the Boreal Zone (Fire & Ice) is an IIASA strategic initiative to improve understanding of climate change–induced wildfires in the boreal region - from regional fire drivers and mitigation tactics to community and ecosystem health and stability. Facing some of the fastest-changing conditions in the world, the boreal is an ideal region to proactively assess and address the complexities introduced by climate change.

The project draws on IIASA expertise in wildfire dynamics, demographics, and pollution management, bringing together three research groups - Agriculture, Forestry, and Ecosystem Services (AFE); Pollution Management (PM); and Population and Just Societies (POPJUS) - with emphasis on cross-disciplinary collaboration, early-career researchers, and open-access data, models, and results.

At the heart of the workshop is the integrated modeling chain that links these groups on a common, scenario-consistent basis:

• FLAM - the wildFire cLimate impacts and Adaptation Model -  projects fire occurrence, burned area, and emissions under future climate scenarios
• GAINS - translates fire emissions into air quality and health impacts
• Population models - capture dynamic exposure as populations and communities change

Together, these follow boreal wildfire from climate drivers all the way to who is at risk.

What to expect

• An introduction to the Fire & Ice framework and the FLAM wildfire model
• An interactive session in which participants predict future wildfire hotspots for Canada and the Nordic region, then compare their predictions with model results
• A collaborative discussion to stress-test the framework — where it works, where it can improve, and what data would strengthen it
• An exchange on how this science can support decisions, and how to get involved

More information

• Fire&Ice project: iiasa.ac.at/projects/fireice
• FLAM model: iiasa.ac.at/flam
• IBFRA 2026 conference: ibfra2026.org