guatemala
Newsletter
Credit: Matthias Fischer/Pixabay
Guatemala grapples with widespread forest fires
In the wake of numerous forest blazes, Guatemala's President declares a natural disaster.
In short:
- President Bernardo Arévalo announced that human activities started 80% of the ongoing 44 forest fires.
- Educational activities in three provinces were suspended to shield students from smoke hazards.
- The disaster declaration will increase financial support for firefighting initiatives.
Key quote:
"The current situation is not a coincidence, 80% of those fires were set."
— Bernardo Arévalo, President of Guatemala
Why this matters:
Farmers using the practice of field burning—also known as slash-and-burn agriculture—can inadvertently start wildfires, especially in regions like Guatemala where this technique is common. This traditional method involves clearing land for agriculture by cutting down vegetation and then burning the remains. However, fires intended to burn only a designated area can quickly spread out of control under dry and windy conditions, leading to wildfires that can consume large areas of forest, agricultural lands, and even encroach on populated areas.
Fire is a necessary part of ecosystems; we should follow Indigenous cultural fire practices for healthier, abundant forests and to reverse more than a century of damage, according to researchers.
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Credit: Eduardo Bertran/Flickr
Swiss mining firm backs court's land rights decision in Guatemala
The Switzerland-based Solway Investment Group supports a recent court ruling that mandates Guatemala to acknowledge the property rights of an Indigenous community.
In short:
- The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled against Guatemala, asserting the rights of the Indigenous Q’eqchi’ people over mining lands.
- Guatemala is instructed to legislate for Indigenous property recognition and start awarding land titles to the Agua Caliente community within six months.
- Solway, which acquired local mining companies in 2011, pledges to assist the Guatemalan government in respecting the court's decision and the rights of the Indigenous community.
Key quote:
“We will support the efforts of the Guatemalan government to conduct discussions with (the) Agua Caliente community as the court ruling stipulates.”
— Statement from Solway Investment Group
More Top News:
Visit Environmental Health News for the latest breaking news on environmental health and climate change.
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Photo by Robin Canfield on Unsplash
Environmental defenders reel from Mexico and Central America attacks
A wave of attacks against environmental defenders has left Indigenous and rural communities across Mexico and Central America reeling amid a lack of government protection and widespread impunity.
Steven dosRemedios/Flickr
Guatemala landfill feeds ‘trash islands’ hundreds of miles away in Honduras
An estimated 20,000 metric tons of trash from the Guatemala City landfill flows down the Motagua River into the Caribbean each year, where it washes ashore on Honduran beaches and forces residents to form cleanup efforts.
Newsletter
Photo by Jeison Higuita on Unsplash
Flee or starve: How climate change is impacting Guatemala
Almost one million Guatemalan children suffer from chronic malnutrition or stunting, according to the World Bank, and they never recover. These lifelong effects lead to 40% less brain development by age 3, and adults here are shorter than anywhere else in the Western Hemisphere.
Newsletter
Photo by Jeison Higuita on Unsplash
Climate change ravaging crops in Guatemala, leaving millions on brink of starvation
Farmers in Guatemala are facing rapidly deteriorating crop conditions, triggered by extended periods of drought followed by torrential rains, and more catastrophic weather events as the climate warms.
www.politico.com
It’s not a border crisis. It's a climate change crisis
There was a time when rural Guatemalans never left home. But back to back hurricanes, failed crops and extreme poverty are driving them to make the dangerous trek north to the U.S. border.
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