VodafoneThree, in partnership with National Parks UK and the Cairngorms National Park, has launched a new wildfire resilience programme to support recovery from recent wildfire damage and help strengthen the landscape’s resilience to future fires.
The announcement comes as organisations from across government, emergency services and industry gathered at the UK’s first Wildfire Resilience Summit to discuss how the country can improve prevention, preparedness, response and recovery in the face of increasing climate-related risks.
The new programme will support practical measures designed to better understand the impact of wildfires and strengthen resilience across the Cairngorms landscape. This includes ecological monitoring and spatial mapping to assess burn severity and identify habitats and landscape features that helped slow or stop the spread of fire, helping inform future land management approaches.
The project will also support the creation and management of ponds that can provide accessible water sources for firefighting while delivering wider environmental benefits, alongside retaining and enhancing firebreaks created during the wildfire response. Insights gained through the programme will help build understanding of effective resilience measures that could inform future approaches to preparing landscapes for wildfire risk.
“This summer a devastating fire broke out in the Cairngorms National Park, impacting thousands of hectares of treasured landscapes, including ancient Caledonian pine forest, heathland and mountain habitats. Technology played a critical part in the response, including the use of thermal imaging drones to guide firefighting activity and monitor hotspots. We welcome the support from VodafoneThree and look forward to working with them and National Parks across the UK to explore how technology can go further in helping us tackle the threat of wildfires.”
Grant Moir, Chief Executive, Cairngorms National Park Authority
Today’s announcement supports a wider package of measures unveiled at the Government’s Wildfire Resilience Summit, including new investment in landscape resilience, enhanced equipment for firefighters, stronger wildfire preparedness planning and greater use of technology to improve prevention and response capabilities.
VodafoneThree joined other organisations at the summit to explore how innovation, connectivity and data can contribute to stronger national resilience.
“As climate-related risks become more frequent and severe, collaboration will be essential to protecting some of the UK’s most important natural assets and the communities that depend on them. Together with National Parks UK and the Cairngorms National Park, we’re launching a new programme that will support recovery from recent wildfire damage while helping strengthen resilience to future fires. Connectivity can play an important role in emergency preparedness and response, and this programme demonstrates how technology, local expertise and long-term commitment can come together to support communities facing changing climate.”
Nicki Lyons, Chief Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Officer, VodafoneThree
The initiative forms part of VodafoneThree’s wider commitment, through its everyone connected strategy, to supporting community resilience and climate adaptation through connectivity, partnerships and technologies such as environmental monitoring and data-driven insights that can help improve situational awareness, support informed decision-making and strengthen preparedness.
It builds on the company’s work with the National Emergencies Trust, National Parks UK and Vodafone Foundation’s Instant Network to help communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and extreme weather events.
Frequently-asked questions
| How is VodafoneThree working with UK National Parks? | Vodafone and UK National Parks have announced a new three-year partnership that will use the power of Vodafone’s network and cutting-edge technology to help protect ecosystems, engage local communities, and support the future of the National Parks. |
| How can technology help National Parks prepare for climate risks? | VodafoneThree and UK National Parks are using technology to support environmental monitoring and conservation. Existing work includes AI-powered habitat mapping and the use of technologies including geospatial mapping, IoT sensors and smart wireless cameras to provide data on biodiversity, visitor impact and habitat health. The Cairngorms wildfire programme adds ecological monitoring and spatial mapping to assess burn severity and understand which landscape features helped slow or stop fire. |
| What is VodafoneThree doing to help communities prepare for emergencies? | VodafoneThree is working with the National Emergencies Trust on a UK Community Resilience Strategy. VodafoneThree is funding the development and community testing of a practical toolkit and dashboard, while exploring how connectivity can help people access critical information, support and services before, during and after emergencies. |
Image copyright owner: Cairngorms National Park Authority (contributed by Bethany Reid).
