Guatemala has lost 1 thousand 927 hectares of forest until this Friday, March 1st 383 forest fires reported this year, while the capacity of authorities to respond to these types of emergencies is under test in a season that threatens droughts and high temperatures for the spread of fires.
The majority of fires that have affected the country this year have been concentrated in the departments of Quiché and Huehuetenango, a forested area located north of the capital, as well as in Zacapa, an arid area in the extreme east of the territory, and in the peripheries of Guatemala City, according to the latest report from the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (Conred).
Although annually, since 2021, Guatemala has lost an average of 35,000 hectares of forest, according to official data, this year the fire in the crater and slopes of the Agua volcano, a colossus 3,760 meters above sea level and located in the province of Sacatepéquez, attracted international attention and tested the State’s institutions to respond to this type of emergency.
You can also read: Fire in Agua volcano is controlled and 80% liquidated
The fire in the volcano started on February 21 and 10 days later the Army, firefighters and brigade members from dozens of institutions are still working to control the fire. The complexity and magnitude of the emergency made the Guatemalan Government turn to the international community, achieving a response from Taiwan, which donated 300 thousand dollars.
The limited resources to put out the fire by air and the lack of aircraft that are trained to deal with large-scale forest fires was a constant during the first days of the emergency at the Agua volcano and deficiencies in coordination between the institutions responsible for responding were criticized by analysts.
In addition, most of the planes that were used to respond to the emergency were made available by private entities and stopped flying over the fire area yesterday.
#TodosSomosCONRED The ARM Aviación aircraft filling process is carried out to continue with the water discharges, as part of the aerial operations carried out to put out the fire in the #A water volcano. pic.twitter.com/aGqwEOQ8mV
— CONRED (@ConredGuatemala) March 1, 2024
Losses in agriculture
This week, civil organizations warned the Government of President Bernardo Arévalo de León that the large number of fires being experienced this season is having a negative impact on the country’s biodiversity.
But it is also impacting agriculture, since, according to the Ministry of Agriculture of Guatemala, the fire in the volcano caused losses to local pea and avocado producers, whose crops are located in the fields of Santa María de Jesús, a town located on the slopes of the Agua volcano.
Farmers in the area have warned that the loss of forest cover in the areas hit by the fire on the volcano will become a risk of landslides during the rainy season of damage.
The fauna of the sector has also been affected, according to the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP), deer, raccoons and tacuazines have been relocated due to the destruction of their burrows by the fire.
In the current forest fire season, 557 incidents have been recorded, which have affected 2,078 hectares.
To report fires, call CONRED 119 or the fire departments. pic.twitter.com/6Fr5nkT5pk
— CONRED (@ConredGuatemala) March 1, 2024
Diversity at risk
Since 2010, Guatemala was recognized as one of the 20 megadiverse countries in the world, due to its great variety of species, ecosystems, genetic diversity, ecosystem services and cultural diversity that it houses. However, in the first 20 years of the 21st century, the Central American country lost 22.3 percent of its forest cover.
Fires, many of them arson, illegal felling of trees for livestock and illicit activities related to drug trafficking, have been described as the main threats to the country’s forests by biologists and conservationists.
Another factor that aggravates the proliferation of fires is climate change. According to official data, the El Niño phenomenon (warming of the Pacific Ocean) will affect Guatemalan territory with droughts and high temperatures at least until the end of April 2024.
You may be interested in:
@emisorasunidas897 During February the transition to the warm season began and high temperatures are expected. . . #climagt #Guatemala #Insivumeh #Heat #HighTemperatures
♬ Summer Vibes – GRLN
* With information from the EFE news agency.
#Guatemalas #forests #risk #due #increase #fires
2024-03-02 12:58:03