Editor’s choice
Editor’s choice
Wildfires, amplified by climate change, emerged in Sweden in the 2010s. These events exposed gaps in Swedish national preparedness and caused public debates. Largely absent from the debates, however, were the effects that the fires had on indigenous Sámi and their reindeer herds.
Example of lichen-rich grazing grounds, once typical of the Trängslet winter pastures.
Photo: Annette Löf / SEI
In this paper the authors discuss wildfire from the perspective of mapping and boundary-making. How they understand loss induced by wildfire is closely related to landscape practices and perspectives. But not all practices and rights-bearers are recognized in wildfire management. Drawing on a major fire event in Sweden in 2018, the authors contrast the official reports of the forest fire with a narrative-based account from affected Sámi reindeer herding communities. The study broadens the conception of how to map and understand the impacts of wildfire and contributes novel empirical findings on how reindeer herders perceive and navigate these emerging fire landscapes. The authors illustrate stark differences in how fire boundaries, both temporal and spatial, are understood and recognized depending on landscape perspective and practice. Their study calls for reconsidering Swedish wildfire and landscape management so that it can become more inclusive of multiple perspectives of human-landscape relations and values.
SEI report / How do adaptation policies and governance acknowledge and respond to the systemic nature of climate change?
Past event / A webinar about land claims, land use conflicts, the state of Sámi rights and rule of law in the Nordic countries.
Other publication / This brief helps local planners and stakeholders understand how NbS can enhance wellbeing through effective design, governance, and impact assessment.
