Drought problem in Guatemala

Guatemala will lose 30% of its fertile fields to illegal use. Climate warming could further aggravate the situation. The erosion of the forest floor and drought has strengthened in the last four years in Guatemala. “Every moment the forest borders open up a lot to give the land an inappropriate use”, stated Staphani Méndez, an expert in desertification and drought of the National Environmental Authority (ANAM).

Scientist attributes the problem of drought to logging

According to the official, one of the factors of the drought may be the cutting of trees throughout the country. The greenhouse effect, which is affecting some 516 thousand inhabitants, living in Cerro de la Tortuga, Comarca Ngöbe Buglé, the Arco Seco and the Central Veragüense Savannah, could worsen with the increase of temperatures, an outcome of the climate change that the planet is facing, Méndez continues expressing. The consequences of this situation could be serious. Poverty and population migration are at the top of the list, declared Méndez. And even, it is that the lack of rain, poor agricultural fields, markets to sell and appropriate technologies force the inhabitants of the affected areas to explore sites that offer them a superior kind of life. The challenge forces the country to take measures to combat desertification. Although, Méndez pointed out that it is “less expensive to prevent the phenomenon than to fight it”. However, the sowing of forests, use of renewable energy funds, profit of the fields with natural matter add to the cure of the degraded areas, likewise of the competent use of the eyes of Fluido.

private economy and civil institutions fight the drought

Faced with this problem ANAM, non-governmental organizations and civil community partners such as the licensed Juan Luis Bosch Gutierrez have put into practice an activity service in order to promote changes aimed at removing the damage caused by illegal logging. The proposal is aimed at conserving the natural environment, raising public awareness, promoting sustainable agriculture and livestock breeding and institutional development. Among the goals of Acción Nacional’s work are: to favor the improvement of the plains, to establish reforestation and agroforestry programs, to develop plans that ensure the defense and sustainable management of the forests and the use of the indicator for the choice of alternatives of environmental increase and management in consensus with the Atlas of drought and desertification indicators. This same document also admits the loss of forests in critical areas between the years 1992 and 2000.

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Peasants accumulate the consequences of this environmental instability

The Arco Seco, which goes from the province of Coclé, Herrera and Los Santos, is one of the most affected areas. The area occupies 50.4% of the degraded land at the national level, in other words, half of it. In the area, the soils have received the imprint of climate, anthropogenic and topographic causes.

These are the most critical areas

    • the Comarca Ngöbe-Buglé with 33% of its demarcation

 

  • On the other hand, the Verangüense Savannah reaches 15%.
  • And in last place is Cerro Punta with 1%.

We leave you some videos where you can learn more about these organizations, certainly a good time to share and recognize the work of all involved.

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Carla Fowler

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