best practices and Examples

Four festival cases were examined that responded to wildfires within their communities. Festivals in wildfire-affected communities were studied because:

Wildfires are a natural process affected by climate change.

Wildfires affect communities around the globe.

Wildfires can affect entire regions and require a whole community approach to recovery.

Wildfires are becoming more intense and more frequent, and intensity is set to increase (UNEP).

Festivals were selected to cover the range of ways festivals respond to wildfires, including mitigation, prevention, response, and recovery. 

Festivals were selected to reflect the Disaster Research Centre (DRC) typology of organizations (Webb, 1999). Festivals are considered at type 3 and type 4 organizations within the DRC typology.  Type 3 such as long-standing community festivals, that adapt to respond to a disaster. Type 4 organizations emerge in response to the disaster, such as new festival initiatives after a disaster.