Uncontrolled forest and rural fires have significant impacts on societies, economies and the environment. Every year around 33 million hectares are affected in Latin America and the Caribbean, impacting forests but also crops, livestock and other sectors and activities essential for livelihoods and food security. fires can severely affect highly vulnerable groups such as indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants - 80% of indigenous peoples in Latin America and the Caribbean live in forests (FAO, 2021).
The event will present best practices for fire management and fire prevention based on the integration of monitoring activities, risk reduction, response preparations, and restoration, in line with the 5Rs approach based on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
A multi-stakeholder and representative panel will present initiatives and concrete experiences to reduce the risk of fires in the region, integrating local, national, regional and global perspectives. Among these perspectives stand out:
- The comprehensive approach to fire management proposed by the agencies of the UN system for LAC and the global platform for fire management.
- The approximation of the regional network of fire experts.
- Public policies for fire management in Argentina.
- Municipal early warning systems for the prevention and mitigation of fires in Bolivia.
