Stakeholder Engagement Drivers: Insights from an Information System Innovation Project Supporting Wildfire Evacuation in Greece

Abstract

The Samaria Gorge, a tourist destination in Crete, faces wildfire risk due to its dense forest, topography, number of visitors, and climate. As part of a H2020 project, the Gorge serves as a testing pilot for a new wildfire management platform that integrates technologies to improve fire detection, risk assessment, and resource allocation during a wildfire evacuation. A central component of the project is a multi-stakeholder network, which supports both governance and acceptance of solutions. To understand the drivers of network formation, we used a Social Network Analysis and Exponential Random Graphs Model approaches to identify the drivers of stakeholder collaboration. Our findings indicate that sectoral and wildfire management focus phase are factors driving connections, while the working in intersecting jurisdictions is not. The results highlight the challenges of multi-stakeholder collaboration, suggesting that policy frameworks and information systems need to develop specific mechanisms to encourage stakeholders to bridge collaborative gaps.