In the last two years alone, Honduras has lost 127,000 hectares of forests in 2,400 fires, reports the Independent Forest Monitoring Committee of the National Human Rights Commission. Fausto Mejía Zelaya, coordinator of this joint civil society/state initiative, told Tierramérica that the total area lost to fires represents 5.2 percent of the country’s 1.7 million hectares of protected forests.

Human Rights Commissioner Ramón Custodio warned that if the country does not implement a preventive policy, it could find itself on the brink of a national tragedy, given the intense heat waves forecast for the upcoming Northern hemisphere summer.

The Forest Conservation Institute has a budget of 3.6 million dollars for prevention and conservation activities, which must also cover the payment of salaries, reported institute staff member Trinidad Suazo.