From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: PANAMA: SEIZED BY REFORESTATION FEVER
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 09:25:07 GMT

/** reg.panama: 29.0 **/
** Topic: PANAMA: SEIZED BY REFORESTATION FEV **
** Written 10:25 am  Apr  6, 1992 by hrcoord in cdp:reg.panama **
From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: PANAMA: SEIZED BY REFORESTATION FEV

/* Written  9:06 am  Apr  6, 1992 by newsdesk in
cdp:ips.englibrary */ Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all
rights reserved.  Permission to re- print within 7 days of
original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: PANAMA: SEIZED BY REFORESTATION FEVER AFTER SIX-MONTH DROUGHT

panama city, apr 3 (ips/silvio hernandez) -- a 'reforestation
fever' has seized the country as the government this week
implemented energy rationing measures and environmental groups
pooled efforts to save the country from the effects of a six-month
drought.

ecological groups and non-governmental organisations (ngos) are
seeking a solution that would remedy the lack of water for farm
crops and the generation of electricity.

juan de dios cedeno, president of the national college of
agronomists of panama, said the crisis had been aggravated by
indiscriminate tree felling and burning of the country's forests
in the last 40 years.

he said it would take another 25-30 years to reforest the
devastated areas, adding that panama was racing against time
because the serious effects of deforestation would not wait
another 25-30 years.

panama has lost about one-third of the three million hectares of
forest cover it used to have in the 1950's. deforestation in the
country continues at a rate of 90,000 hectares yearly and unless
stopped, panama will have no more trees by the year 2012.

the panama-based ngos, whose members include lawyers, university
students, engineers and union workers, have asked the government
to consult ecologists before making future environmental
policies.

in response to the country's water and energy crisis, the state
institute for renewable natural resources (inrenare) has announced
the start of different reforestation projects.

the most important project is the management of renewable natural
resources (marena) aimed at conserving and managing soil, water
and forest resources for sustainable development.

inrenare deputy director noel moron said marena, which will cost
about 41 million dollars over a span of seven years, will teach
the people to use the country's resources without destroying
them.

the u.s. agency for international aid will give some 18 million
dollars for the project while the panamanian government and other
donor groups will shoulder the rest of the amount.

in its initial stage, the project will give priority to the
management and conservation of 1.2 million hectares included in
the country's national parks and protected areas which have
suffered from degradation in the last few years.

local economists say panama's economy is already suffering from
the drought which began last october. (more/ips)

panama: seized (2)

the national association of cattle-raisers (anasan) said the
country's milk industry has lost about 14 million dollars while
farmers have lost some 10 million dollars due to the decrease in
corn, rice and sorghum harvests.

this week, the government started a strict energy conservation
programme which will cause a loss of some 400,000 dollars per hour
of power outage to the country's industries.

experts say the lack of rain and water reserves could also
decrease the normal capacity of the country's second largest dam,
the bayano, and put at risk the operations of the panama canal.

environmental groups like the indigenous kuna foundation 'dobbo
yala' have warned that the country's environmental problems will
never be solved unless certain groups stop stripping the national
parks of their forest resources.

they cited the case of the 400-hectare alto bayano park which had
been given to to some 5,000 kuna and embera indians in the 1970's
when their reserve was flooded by the waters of the bayano
hydroelectric dam.

in 1990, some 500 settlers from the central zone invaded bayano
park and cut down trees to make way for farm lands and pastures.

the conflict between the two groups erupted in mid-1991 when
thousands of kunas and emberas attacked the settlers with guns and
arrows to make them leave their reservation.

the skirmish ended early this year when the government said it
would relocate the settlers -- a promise that still has to be
carried out.

the main rivers and mountain streams that feed the bayano dam,
which supplies one-third of the eight million kilowatt hours
consumed by panama, are found in the bayano national park.

kunas and emberas are also protesting the presence of loggers who
are taking advantage of the conflict and government inaction to
strip the forests of their natural resources.
(end/ips/trd/sh/mso/cir/92)
** End of text from cdp:reg.panama **

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