Relevant end-users / stakeholder groups
AFN - Autoridade Florestal Nacional (National Authority to Forest): This body is part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries. Its main aims are to define a national forest policy and manage the forestry sector. It is actively involved in DESIRE with local representation, mainly with respect to the prescribed fire activity in Góis municipality and the promotion of Forest Intervention Areas (ZIF). (http://www.afn.min-agricultura.pt/portal)
UNCCD National Focal point: The NAP (National Action Programme) to Combat Desertification has been applied since 1999, with 5 Pilot Areas. Mação municipality is one of these Pilot Areas. A close working relation has been established during past years between members of the Portuguese participants in DESIRE and the Portuguese UNCCD focal point.
Instituto da Água (Water Institute): This body is responsible for the implementation of the national water policy. (http://www.inag.pt/)
Autoridade Nacional de Protecção Civil (National Authority for Civil Protection): Civil protection is organized at municipal, regional and national levels. In the DESIRE project, civil protection is represented at the local level, where it is incorporated into local government authorities. (www.proteccaocivil.pt/)
DRAP-C - Direcção Regional de Agricultura e Pescas (Regional Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for the Central Region): This regional body is a branch of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries and supports the agriculture and fisheries sectors at the regional and local level. (http://www.drapc.min-agricultura.pt/)
CCDR-C - Commission de Coordenação de Desenvolvimento Regional do Centro (Commission for the Coordination of Regional Development in Central Portugal): is the regional government board with responsibilities for the environment and planning, and with responsibilities for the management of EU and government investment in the region. (http://www.ccdrc.pt/)
Mação local government and municipal services: Mação municipality has ultimate responsibility for the management of the district and its resources, with an active role in the planning and management of the municipality territory. Mação local government has developed remarkable efforts in forest fire prevention, detection and fire-fighting through its Forest Technical Office and Municipal Civil Protection Services. This body has been collaborating on UAVR and ESAC research projects since the 1990s and is actively involved in the DESIRE project. (http://cm-macao.pt)
Aflomação - Associação Florestal do Concelho de Mação (Forest Association of Mação Municipality): This body was created in 2004 to promote the association between forest owners and to create so-called Forest Intervention Areas. The involvement of this association in the DESIRE project is very important since it establishes interaction between the municipality and landowners. (http://www.aflomacao.pt/)
University of Aveiro (UAVR) & ESAC: the relationship between these institutions and the local authorities has been established for more than fifteen years and it has been built on and reinforced since 1992 through several previous common research and development projects. (http://www.ua.pt & http://www.esac.pt)
