Azuero residents call for reforestation

RESIDENTS in the highlands of the Azuero peninsula where the main tributaries of La Villa River are located, have asked the government today to protect the area and engage in a massive plan of reforestation.

Juan José Pinto Corrales, one of the residents of the upper basin of the river, said  Saturday, July 12 that they are willing to contribute to the conservation of the  area where there are a lot of animals in danger of extinction.

According to Pinto Corrales, residents need the support of environmental projects to ensure the quality and quantity of water in the lower area of the provinces of Herrera and Los Santos reports La Prensa.

“We want to reforest the area, but we do not know the plans of the authorities. No one has submitted alternatives to save the region and ensure the quantity as well as quality of water resources,” he said.

He said that unsustainable practices, implemented in recent decades, have resulted in great environmental deterioration currently affecting the basin of La Villa River, which provides water to some 150,000 people.

He said there is a lack of environmental education, no comprehensive planning, bad policies and little regard for the titling of land.

According to government figures, a total of 557.75 hectares are used for agriculture and 2,736.5 hectares are used for grazing. Pinto Corrales said farmers in the area use a “slash and burn” technique to clear fields, and also use dangerous herbicides.