Plan de accion forestal tropical para Centroamerica

Deforestation in highland watersheds is causing soil erosion, floods, and drought, resulting in the loss of productivity in forestry and agriculture, a decline in biodiversity, and a general decline in the quality of life for Central Americans. The plan promotes regional responses to the process of deforestation through three principal programs: (1) forestry and land use planning, to promote regional mechanisms to complement the national TFAP"s and increase awareness of forestry problems among decisionmakers; (2) sustainable development of forest resources, which includes three subprograms to coordinate regional actions in the areas of forestry-based industrial development, fuelwood and energy, and conservation of forest ecosystems; and (3) forestry institutional development, which aims to strengthen national institutions, including forest services, educational centers, and NGO"s, and includes actions to reform the region"s environmental policy, legal, and political framework. Section I of this paper is an introduction; Section II overviews the forestry sector in Central America; Section III contains a description of the TFAP: its objectives, the three programs, and a financial strategy. The second volume focuses solely on detailed descriptions of projects which would be implemented under the plan.