Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
At the same time, there is much to be hopeful about, particularly in the past 20 years
sinceGuatemala'sdemocraticopening,whenthecountryfinallyhadacivilianpresidentin-
terested in environmental matters. In addition to establishing the Maya Biosphere Reserve,
Vinicio Cerezo Arévalo pushed through congress much of the legislation serving as a basis
for the protection of Guatemala's natural heritage. Many valiant Guatemalans have like-
wise done their part to establish a genuine environmental movement in their country. Their
courage is underscored by the fact that, in Guatemala, environmental activism necessarily
entails standing firm in the face of death threats and intimidations. Environmental protec-
tion often conflicts with the interests of the still-powerful agricultural elites, among these
lumber barons, drug cartels using remote parks for illicit activities, cattle ranchers, some
of whom have military ties, and land-hungry peasants. Environmental martyrs are many
in Guatemala, much the same as the legacy of those campaigning for greater respect for
human rights and better socioeconomic conditions. In these ways, environmental issues in
Guatemala are largely circumscribed within the larger social issues of endemic poverty,
power politics, and the rule of law.
Deforestation
In 2005, about 37 percent of Guatemala was still forested, down from 40 percent in 2001.
Most of the country was at one time covered by forests, a fact attested to by Guatemala's
ancient Mayan-Toltec name meaning “land of the trees.” The once-forested Pacific plains
have given way largely to sugarcane and coffee plantations while the forests of the Carib-
bean slope have been turned largely over to banana plantations. The highlands, for their
part,havebeenunderintensecultivationsincepreconquesttimes,thoughtherearestillsub-
stantial forests left in remote corners of Quiche and Huehuetenango. Most of the loss of
forestcoverinthepast40yearshasbeenduetogovernmentincentivesaimedatcolonizing
thenortherndepartmentofPeténinanattempttoeasepressureforlandbyanever-increas-
ing population. The Petén thus became an escape valve from pressures for land reform his-
torically thwarted by Guatemala's agricultural elites. It is here that a modern-day battle is
being waged over Guatemala's remaining forests.
Itishopedthathistorywillnotrepeatitself,astheancientMayanshaveavaluablelesson
to teach about what happens when the forests are cut down. It is speculated that among the
reasons forthe Classic Mayan collapse iswidespread droughtcaused bythe overwhelming
deforestation of the tropical lowlands the Mayans inhabited. This may have, in turn, led
to widespread warfare among Mayan city-states as populations scrambled to assert dom-
inance over dwindling resources. The southern and central sections of Petén have been
almost completely deforested, leading to local declines in annual rainfall marked by pro-
longedandwarmerdryseasons.ThenorthernthirdofPeténremainsmostlyintact,fornow,
protected as the Maya Biosphere Reserve. Pressures against the reserve continue to mount,
however,withillegallandgrabsandclandestineloggingcontinuingtomakeinroads.There
