The Colombian government is drafting a plan to curb environmental losses from forest fires, using equipment worth 86,500 dollars donated by the United States to the Ministry of Housing, Environment and Territorial Development. The plan entails environmental education programs, training for preventing and fighting forest fires, protocols for restoration and evaluation of environmental impacts, said Minister Sandra Suárez.

The U.S. donation was received Jun. 17. Biologist Efraín Leal told Tierramérica that most forest fires are caused by human actions, such as those related to the expansion of the farming frontier.

From 1986 to 2002, nearly 14,500 forest fires were reported, and affected more than 400,788 hectares, Leal said.