Ecobreves – HONDURAS: The Reforestation of El Merendón

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

TEGUCIGALPA, Nov 9 2009 (IPS) - Around 58 hectares of forest hit by a weevil plague will be reforested with cedar and mahogany over the next five months in El Merendón mountain range, which serves as the lungs of the northwestern Honduran city of San Pedro Sula. The effort will be led by residents of the area neighboring the range, and will cost 4.2 million dollars, initiative coordinator Héctor Bardales told Tierramérica.

Beginning next year, the project will be expanded to five other cities in Honduras, he said.

The mountains of El Merendón are the main source of water for San Pedro Sula, 250 kilometers from Tegucigalpa, but its forests have been devastated by weevils. In addition to reforestation, there will also be clean-up and recycling projects in the area and in the city.