|
Lost Forest Coverage Recovered
Today, half of Costa Rica has
forest coverage, thanks to the
fact that in the last 20 years
the country recovered an area
equivalent to 10 percent of the
territory.
This fact is confirmed by images
analyzed by the National Forest
Financing Fund (FONAFIFO in
Spanish) and the University of
Alberta, Canada.
Back in 1960, 70 percent of the
territory of Costa Rica had
forest coverage but, in the
following three decades, acute
deforestation lowered the
forested area to 40 percent by
1986.
The felling recorded in the
1960s, 70s, and 80s was prompted
by certain agricultural
development policies, said
Arturo Sanchez, director of the
Scientific Center of Terrestrial
Observation of the University of
Alberta.
According to FONAFIFO, it was in
the 90s when the trend was
reversed. Fund director Jorge
Rodriguez points out that half
of the forested area is in
private hands and that it would
increase further if there were
money enough to pay the owners
for preserving standing forest
and letting land regenerate
without man’s intervention. He
pointed out that the $14 million
budget for this year was not
enough to pay more land owners
who wanted to join the program.
|
|
