Destination of tropical forests

1987/10/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ingurumena

Until recently Bolikosta has been one of the largest tropical wood exporters in the world, but if drastic measures are not taken, before the end of the decade it will become an importer of wood. If in 1965 they were 15 million hectares of forest, today they are just one million. As there are still 300 000 hectares per year and only 5000 are planted, the future is totally black for the forest of Bolikosta and also for the people, if we realize that the wood is its most important export.

The main causes of the disappearance of the forest are, in addition to the indifference of the authorities, the intensive cutting of forests for the obtaining of wood and the burning of forests for the obtaining of agricultural lands. On the other hand, the companies of plants of European origin attribute to the native peasants the guilt of the problem and affirm that they cannot participate in the disappearance of the forests.

The government of Bolikosta has taken drastic measures to maintain the forest last June, but as has happened before, among ecologists there is fear that the cough of Auntza is not midnight. Meanwhile, wild companies leave the Bolikosta to search for new dead or victims (Zaire, Ghana...). To see if these peoples are more prudent than the Bolikosta.