The Quantitative and Monetary Impacts of Forest Fire Crimes - EFFACE REPORT

Wildfires have been recognized as one of the most significant environmental threats in Europe and particularly in the Mediterranean regions, giving rise to a multitude of environmental, social and economic impacts. However, forest fires are often not the result of a natural disaster or causes of fatality, but rather an anthropogenic phenomenon with direct dependence on social behavior, both voluntary and involuntary. Therefore the willful and malicious burning of forests represents a fire crime. This report focuses on the current status of wildfire impacts at the European and Italian regional levels, looking mainly at fire crimes in both quantitative and monetary terms and, to the same extent, at the relation between geographical distribution of such crimes and organized crime.