Algeria to combat wildfires with high tech as alert hits max level
Source: Middle East Insurance Review | Aug 2026
The Algerian government is working to build a national high-tech platform for monitoring forest fires, to fight wildfires in the country.
The platform, currently in its final stage of development, will generate precise indicators and reports that can help to optimise the effectiveness of intervention operations and limit the spread of fires, reported Algeria Press Service. Its architecture is based on integrating geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing technologies and databases.
To address the wildfire threat, the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, Mr Yacine Oualid, chaired a vdieoconference on 15 July with officials from the forestry sector across different wilayas of the country, according to a statement from the ministry. He heard from forestry experts who gave an assessment of the prevailing situation and reviewed the resources mobilised to fight forest fires.
The Ministry said that exceptional climatic conditions characterised the 2025-2026 agricultural season. A wet winter and spring led to rapid vegetation growth, which has since dried out due to an early, sudden spike in temperatures, turning the biomass into highly flammable fuel.
Preliminary assessments indicate that “the majority of fires recorded since May were the result of the spread of agricultural crop fires, in addition to the irresponsible actions of certain individuals”.
In response, Mr Oualid raised the fire alert to its maximum level and ordered preventive measures, including the creation of firebreaks around cultivated fields to halt the spread of fires. M