Latin America and the Caribbean regional project 598-0605 · 1980–1994 · natural resources and biodiversity · World Wildlife Fund-U.S. (WWF-U.S.)

As the only Latin American country in which forestry is a principal economic activity, Honduras is especially vulnerable to deforestation and related forms of environmental degradation. This report identifies threats to the country's forest resource base, as well as environmental problems in the areas of agriculture, watershed management, marine resources, wildlife, and water and sanitation. Discussed also are a core set of cultural, political, and constraints to solving these problems. Depletion of forest resources (80,000 ha are lost each year) is attributed to uncontrolled fires and wasteful logging practices. Problems related to agriculture are identified as: (1) deforestation due to shifting cultivation, (2) declining land productivity resulting from population pressures, and (3) heavy pesticide use. Improper watershed management has led to flooding and water deficiency, while inadequate marine resource management has resulted in overfishing and destruction of estuaries and coral reefs. Wildlife are threatened by habitat destruction, overexploitation, and urban-industrial expansion. Water supplies are contaminated by industrial, mining, and agricultural pollution leading t

Source: DEC abstract, PN-ABC-410 (1982). This is the source's own text, not a cited summary of the documents.