ENVIRONMENT: The ungreening of Panama speeding up

The ungreening of Panama continues at  an increasing rate, and there appears little haste or initiative to repair the devastation.

The National  Environmental watchdog, (ANAM)  says that   since 2000, the country’s forest coverage  has been reduced by two million hectares, and only an  estimated 75,000 hectares have  been replanted. {jathumbnail off}

Forestry engineer Rafael Perea, said that the areas most affected by land degradation include the indigenous region of Ngäbe-Bugle, in the western province of Veraguas; as well as the central provinces of Herrera, Los Santos, and Coclé, which pride themselves on their agricultural tradition.

The provinces with the largest area of forests in the country are Darién, including the Emberá indigenous region, bordering with Colombia; Bocas del Toro, in the Caribbean, bordering Costa Rica; and Panama, representing 50.2 percent of the total forest coverage.