Ecobreves – EL SALVADOR: Forest Inventory

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

SAN SALVADOR, Nov 17 2002 (IPS) - The government of El Salvador is to conduct a national inventory of trees to establish the number, variety and coverage of each species, using techniques ranging from satellite images to on-the-ground inspections. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock hired a private company for the task, sponsored by the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, an intergovernmental project aimed at restoring the chain of biodiversity extending from southern Mexico through Central America.

At a cost of 900,000 dollars, the inventory should be completed in October 2003.

El Salvador loses 59 million metric tons of soil each year due to erosion triggered by deforestation. Furthermore, the country imports up to 100 million dollars annually in forestry products.

However, the recently approved forestry law does not include any sort of incentive for the private sector to plant trees.