The measures implemented under Algeria’s national forest fire prevention and combat campaign, especially during the 2024 and 2025 summer seasons, have proven to be highly effective, with affected areas showing significant reductions, thanks to the efforts undertaken following the directives issued by the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who has elevated forest heritage protection to a national priority requiring full resource mobilization for optimal, proactive preparedness.
Drawing from Algeria’s painful past experience with forest fires, the President of the Republic emphasized the need to implement all necessary proactive measures to prevent this phenomenon to avoid this phenomenon, particularly through acquiring aerial firefighting equipment, strengthening Civil Protection’s equipement, and optimizing proactive systems and rapid response mechanisms.
As part of implementing the President’s directives, the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries has centered its new strategy for the national annual forest fire prevention and combat plan on proactivity and coordination, enabling the General Directorate of Forests (DGF) to effectively safeguard the country’s forest resources.
In a statement to APS, the Director General of Forests, Djamel Touahria, said that following the President’s directives, given his strong commitment to forest protection, approximately 6,000 personnel and numerous rapid response vehicles were mobilized for the forest fire prevention campaign.
He noted that advanced technologies, including smart cameras and drones, enabled early fire detection and timely intervention.
The official also reported that awareness campaigns are conducted daily with the National Gendarmerie and Civil Protection year-round, with strict enforcement of legal frameworks to protect Algeria’s forest heritage as a shared national asset.
He emphasized that penalties for arson, illegal construction, and tree cutting can reach up to 30 years imprisonment.
