Heat points recorded in the eastern Chaco in the 2015-2020 period. Environmental implications and fire management

Abstract

In recent decades, global warming has intensified fires that have destroyed huge forested areas in various parts of the world. Argentina has not been exempted from this problem, nor has its province of Chaco. Therefore, this article attempts to give a geographical look at the issue of forest fires that occurred in nine departments in the east of this province during the period between 2015 and 2020. Through statistical analysis and georeferencing of information from different sources, the paper aims to identify the fire outbreaks that have been recorded in the study area described above and in that period of time, and characterize the current provincial management on the subject of fire risks. The production of cartography was made from the use of Qgis. In 2020, the region under analysis suffered a large number of fire outbreaks in rural areas that affected a little more than 60,000 hectares, destroying pastures, native and planted forests and, consequently, deteriorating soils, wildlife, and also damaging stubble cover and farmlands.