Carmen Vázquez-Varela has been Associate Professor (civil servant) of Regional Geography in the Department of Geography and Spatial Planning at the University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain, since 2003. Interests: social dimensions of wildfires; wildfire causes; rural development; social capital in relation to use and management issues in rural and natural areas. Since 2016, she has been a member of the Steering Committee of the Commission of Local and Regional Development under the International Geographical Union.