Legal logging and soaring saplings: the ‘green islands’ bucking the deforestation trend in central America
In Guatemala's Maya Biosphere Reserve, local cooperatives are practicing sustainable forestry that allows for economic activity while simultaneously increasing forest cover. This model suggests that empowering local communities to manage natural resources can be an effective strategy against deforestation.
Why it matters
It provides a successful case study for conservationists looking for ways to balance economic development with environmental protection in tropical regions.
A worker at one of the Carmelita cooperative’s sawmills in Petén, northern Guatemala. Photograph: Hum Images/Universal Images Group/Getty Images A worker at one of the Carmelita cooperative’s sawmills in Petén, northern Guatemala. Photograph: Hum Images/Universal Images Group/Getty Images The age of extinction Environment Legal logging and soaring saplings: the ‘green islands’ bucking the deforestation trend in central America In Guatemala’s Maya biosphere reserve local people are making a living from trees at the same time as increasing forest cover, showing nature is best protected by those who depend on it
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