Author Description

Forests cover 47 per cent of the Latin America and Caribbean region, with the vast majority being tropical forests. The region has undergone high rates of deforestation over recent years, and this fact increases the urgency of the need to develop preventative methods to protect remaining forested areas from forest fires, both for the region and the world in general. This report reviews the impact that forest fires have had on the Latin American and Caribbean region and its population over the last few years, as well as considering the causes, effects and implications for human health, economic growth and fire management policy.