Global Wildfire Leadership Network
Mobilizing investment and action for wildfire prevention, resilience and restoration.
About the network
The Global Wildfire Leadership Network (GWLN) is a community housed within the Forest Future Alliance which mobilizes private-sector and philanthropic actors to help shift wildfire management from reactive suppression to prevention, preparedness, and long-term resilience.
GWLN supports credible action across forests, farmlands, wetlands, and cities - strengthening ecosystems and communities facing escalating fire risk.
The challenge
Wildfire is superseding agriculture as the leading cause of tropical deforestation and becoming a defining risk to forests, cities, and economies. By mid-2025, over 100 million hectares burned worldwide, exposing weaknesses in land management, infrastructure, and risk finance. Yet most funding still prioritizes suppression over prevention.
Wildfires are also accelerating forest loss: in the Amazon, fires drive 60% of deforestation, pushing the region toward an ecological tipping point. Beyond physical damage, wildfires create a growing “wildfire tax” through health impacts, lost productivity, and rising insurance costs, making long-term, prevention-focused investment essential.
What we do
GWLN convenes corporate leaders, investors, insurers, philanthropies, innovators, governments, Indigenous leaders, and delivery partners to:
Shift
Shift capital toward prevention and resilience, not only response.
Align
Align finance, technology, and stewardship to strengthen investable pathways and the shared business case.
Scale
Scale proven approaches across landscapes and communities.
Our framework
GWLN’s Theory of Change is anchored in three strategic pillars, delivered through knowledge sharing and mobilizing collaboration and action, with community action as a cross-cutting enabler.
Strategic pillars for wildfire resilience:
Finance & insurance
Data, technology & AI
Forest stewardship &
nature-based solutions
Who we engage
GWLN convenes corporates, investors, insurers, philanthropies, innovators, and practitioners engaging on wildfire resilience to protect nature, reduce cascading risks, safeguard communities, and strengthen long-term economic stability.
These partners act to reduce operational and supply-chain disruption, manage physical and financial risk exposure, deliver credible climate adaptation, and invest in prevention-focused resilience.
Explore fresh thinking, practical guidance and stories from across our global community.
Forest Future Alliance
A World Economic Forum Initiative