Urban Forestry Development in Latin America

Abstract

Latin America is a predominantly urban continent. In the 1950’s a process of demographic concentration was begun, resulting in the explosive and uncontrolled growth of cities in the region. Among other factors, this urbanization was the result of the migration of a large number of impoverished rural peasants who sought alternative sources of work in urban industry, construction, etc. This operated in conjunction with lowered mortality rates and high fertility rates in the region. Today, at the end of the 20th century, more than 70% of the inhabitants of the region reside in settlements which may be characterized as urban. Furthermore, cities with a population exceeding one million are abundant in our continent, including four of the ten most populated metropolises on the planet (i.e., Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, and Rio de Janeiro), and 12 of the 65 largest cities of the world.