For centuries, our planet has faced natural or controlled fires. Forest fires, particularly during the summer season, are increasing worldwide. These fires can be ignited intentionally or unintentionally, often in tourist areas or more secluded places like picnic spots. As a Foundation, we have made a donation to the “Pau Costa Foundation,” based in Barcelona, Spain, which works to protect forest areas—our guarantee for the future—from fires. The organization has presented our Foundation with a letter of appreciation in recognition of our donation.
A Sustainable Balance Between Fire, Nature, And Society Must Be Established
Regarding the donation, Uğur Tatlıcı, Executive Board Member of our Foundation, stated: “Given the current climate conditions, we must accept living with fires as an inherent reality of our geography. Continuous education and awareness should be provided to promote fire ecology perspectives and forest fire risk management. As a Foundation, we have made a donation to the Pau Costa Foundation, established in honor of Pau Costa, who sacrificed his life in the fight against forest fires.”
Pau Costa Foundation
The Pau Costa Foundation is a non-profit global organization focused on forest fire management and prevention from a fire ecology perspective. Since 2011, it has been facilitating interaction among researchers, emergency services, public administration, private companies, and the community to disseminate knowledge and promote collaborative projects worldwide.
The establishment of the Pau Costa Foundation responds to the idea of creating a platform that consolidates national and international information on forest fires, an initiative spearheaded by a team of GRAF fire analysts, including Pau Costa. In fact, Pau Costa wrote the initial drafts of the Foundation’s project. He has been involved in the Foundation from the outset, shaping its framework and guiding its development. His work has significantly influenced the Foundation’s latest project, which bears his name.
Pau Costa Alcubierre was born on September 13, 1977, in Sant Julià de Vilatorta (Osona). He graduated from Lleida University with a degree in Technical Forest Engineering and completed a master’s degree in forest fire analysis. His professional career began in the GRAF Technical Unit of the Catalonia Generalitat Fire Department, where he worked as a forest fire analyst in Southern Europe. Pau contributed to the European Fire Paradox project by authoring the guide on “Prevention of Large Forest Fires by Fire Types.” He was among the firefighters who lost their lives on July 24, 2009, in the Horta de Sant Joan fire, along with Jaume Arpa, Jordi Moré, Ramon Espinet, and David Duaigües.
