Jorge Saavedra: Monitoring and Fighting Forest Fires Using Remote Sensing

In this episode of Smart Forests Radio, we talk with Jorge Saavedra. Jorge is a Forestry Engineer with a Diploma in Geomatics and Satellite Technology, Master in Remote Sensing and Head of the Department of Development and Research in Forest Fires at the National Forestry Corporation of Chile (CONAF). Jorge has more than 15 years of experience in Fire Management, specializing in areas such as analysis and planning, use of geotechnologies, training, research and development, risk assessment and analysis. His skills include quantification of avoided damage in forest fires, ranging from brigadier to detection aircraft technician. He is also an adjunct professor in undergraduate and graduate courses at the Universidad Mayor de Chile. In this interview he tells us about the role of CONAF's Development and Research Department, which has been to analyze in a transversal way the whole institution to make the work more efficient and to understand the reasons for the behavior of fire in the Chilean territory . For this work, they have generated several tools that allow the monitoring and prevention of forest fires, such as the Forecast System, the National Risk Map and the Red Button. You can find more about Jorge's work at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jorge-Saavedra-15.

Interviewers: Pablo González Rivas, Paula Tiara Torres and Jennifer Gabrys

Producer: Harry Murdoch

Listen on Apple and Spotify.

Language note: This interview takes place in Spanish.