The “Iberian Center for Research and Combating Forest Fires” CILIFO (0753_CILIFO_5_E) has a total budget of 24.6 million euros, of which 75% is funded by the Interreg VA Spain-Portugal Cross-Border Cooperation Program – Interreg POCTEP (2014-2020).

CILIFO falls within Thematic Objective 5 of the POCTEP Program: Promoting adaptation to climate change in all sectors. Additionally, it addresses the investment priority concerning the POCTEP Program, 5B: Promoting investment to address specific risks, ensuring adaptation to disasters, and developing disaster management systems.

With a duration of four years (01/01/2019 to 12/12/2022), it aims, through the results anticipated in its activities, to establish itself as a permanent Center for the promotion and development of training, awareness, research, and cooperation in the fight against forest fires.

Its objectives are:

• To strengthen and unite cooperation, working procedures, and training among the devices for Prevention and Extinguishment of Forest Fires in the cooperative area of the Euroregion Alentejo-Algarve-Andalusia.
• To promote the creation of lasting and quality employment in the area; reduce the economic cost of fires by creating a rural economy linked to the landscape.
• To improve the response capacity to forest fires of the administrations and authorities involved in fighting them in the three participating regions.