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Fires blaze through Guatemala
On 10 February 2009, fires broke out near the Pecul volcano, located in the western region of Guatemala. The wildfire spread across multiple departments and municipalities, reaking havoc on miles of cultivated land. Nearly a month after the fires began, several areas had yet to receive assistance from the government. This is merely one example of the harsh challenges farmers all over the world must face in their daily work to produce the foods and commodities on which consumers in the North depend.
Pictures courtesy of Nahuala coop
The following is an excerpt from The Guatemalan Times.
The article was written by Barbara Schieber and the original -- as well as the rest of it -- can be found here.
"According to a recent notification from the National System for Prevention and Control of Forest Fires, Sipecif, Guatemala is in danger of loosing more forest to wild fires this year then in 2008.
To date there have been 97 wildfires in the country, which have consumed 489 hectares of vegetation. The season of wild fires is just beginning, it is estimated that in the peak of the dry season, March and April, the fires will increase. To mitigate the danger, the National System for Prevention and Control of Forest Fires, Sipecif, has started its strategy to reduce the number and extension of wild fires.
 | The statistics of February 2008 showed 650 hectares of land consumed by fire. The number of fires and the number of acres consumed by wild fires in February 2008 is expected to increase this year to approximately 700 hectares.. According to meteorological reports, between March and April 2009 the heat will increase significantly, the humidity will decrease. This provides ideal conditions for the proliferation of wild fires. SIPECIF considers these two month of critical risk for increased wild fires. At the moment there are 17 active wild fires in Quetzaltenango, Patzún, Moyuta, Santa María Chiquimula and Totonicapán. |
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Among the key measures is the careful application of the agricultural practices, "Rozas" where the farmers burn the land to prepare it for the seeding season. The practice should only be conducted in the morning or afternoon, when lower temperatures prevail. Also the fire should be put out completely to prevent reigniting and spreading...
All Guatemalan must do their part to reduce the effects that cause the climate change. Anything that harms the environment affects the human being.
Sources: MARN: Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, SIPECIF: National System for Prevention and Control of Forest Fires
