Ecobreves – MEXICO:: Forest Emergency

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

MEXICO CITY, Apr 7 2003 (IPS) - Seasonal fires are devastating the forests of Mexico, and officials should declare a national emergency, says the non-governmental Network of Peasant Forestry Organizations. In the week of Mar 21-27 alone, fires wiped out more than 30,000 hectares of vegetation. Every year, from January to May, fires smolder in Mexico due to the hot, arid weather.

The Network says the government is not taking adequate measures to combat the fires, which affect an average of 200,000 hectares of forested areas annually.

Environmental officials say they have an appropriate plan for handling the situation. Mexico loses an average of 1.1 million hectares to fire and logging each year.