Atlantic Forest and Caatinga: Two Threatened Tropical Biomes in Brazil and Implications for Public Health

Abstract

Tropical forests are of inestimable value for their ecosystem services to current and future generations, and it is increasingly urgent to implement strategies that decrease species extinction and the main biological dangers for life on Earth. The climate scenarios and projections for South America in the 21st century show climate variations for Brazil leading to severe impacts for the Amazon and Northeastern Brazil, with repercussions for water resources. This article review aims to broaden the discussion on the inextricable relationship between the environment and health, using prevalent diseases in Brazil and other tropical countries as examples and highlighting the degradation of two Brazilian biomes. It will also call attention to the scientific evidence and urgent need to rethink the effect of anthropogenic actions on the planet and act to their mitigation. A bibliographic search was conducted using keywords associated with the objective. Major sources of information were Web of Science, MEDLINE/PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scielo, World Health Organization and sites of several scientific journals and Brazilian environment and health institutions. Initially, 2178 references and 34 additional references were obtained, 404 of which were selected by titles and abstracts and 138 considered in the review. The evidence obtained could result in other studies and primarily help decision- making in the fields of scientific investigation, education, public health and governance, with an emphasis on regions suffering from desertification. Ecological disturbances and a decline in the ecosystem may increase loss of biodiversity and change relationships between biotic and abiotic factors, as well as soil and air composition and desertification. Infectious diseases pose biological dangers to humans, primarily in tropical countries. New values, global alliances and behavioral changes may be the path to understanding that all forms of life sustain humanity on the planet.