5-13-08, 12:00 pm

San Salvador, May 13 (Prensa Latina) The absence of combined Central American policies to protect forests is alarming some governments there.

The vice presidents of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras met in the Montecristo Park, a forest reserve shared by the three countries to boost a joint conservation plan.

In Honduras, for example, in spite of government measures implemented by President Manuel Zelaya, such as the presence of troops in the forests for protection, forest fires and wood trafficking continue.

Such a situation endangers flora and fauna in affected areas, particularly in the north, but also reduces drinking water reserves that supply dozens of communities.

In addition, the soils have been degraded, provoking a reduction of food crops. To date there have been 580 forest fires that have consumed 18,000 hectares of Honduran forests, according to the country's State Forests Administration.

Guatemala has suffered 2,500 forest files that destroyed about 100,000 hectares of forests. Estimates show that 95 percent of those fires were caused by arson.

Illegal felling of trees is another factor that jeopardizes forest diversity, according to institutions such as the Olanch Environment Movement.

El Salvador is considered the nation with most deforestation problems in the Latin American continent. Official studies indicate a 90 percent loss of vegetation and barely two percent of the original forest vegetation.

Open air mining, expansion of agriculture, and use of forest mass for fire and indiscriminate felling are among the lists that is leading this country to desertification.

Now there is a new problem with the destination of huge crop areas to produce biofuels.

Guatemala isn't far behind. Every year it loses 73,148 hectares of forests for different reasons but particularly through human activity.

According to statistics revealed by the environmental profile of that country, 11 percent of natural resources have been lost in the past 10 years, nationwide.

The United Nations Environment Program has repeatedly warned that the region is facing disaster through the increased rhythm of deforestation. It also warned of the need to interrelate conservation, economy and trade to improve the quality of life of their people and the sustainability of natural resources.

The S.O.S. is beginning to be heard. The Monday meeting marks the beginning of joint action of the governments in favor of actions for conservation at least in the region shared by the three that has a population of 750,000 inhabitants in 45 municipalities.

From Prensa Latina