Toward a national strategy for natural resource management in El Salvador : a concept paper

It has a long and unfortunate history of misuse of its environmental resources. This history long precedes the current civil conflict that has exacerbated the condition. National problems of environmental degradation and natural resource depletion are severe and directly affect the economic condition and the quality of life of the majority of Salvadorans. A.I.D. is working with Salvadoran agencies to alleviate problems and to plan for the future. The design of a National Strategy for Natural Resource Management is one such effort. The National Strategy must consider the gamut of environmental and natural resource problems in the country, including deforestation, soil erosion, loss of soil fertility, water supply, environmental contamination, pesticide abuse, loss of wildlife habitat, and data collection and environmental monitoring. The plan proposed to address these problems consists of a number of steps to be taken, some simultaneously, over a two-year period. These steps are: establish an office within the Fundacion Ecologica Salvadorena, a Presidential Commission on Natural Resources and Environment, a national technical team, and an external support team; install a geographic information system; create a national data directory, a centralized library, and an information bank; hold workshops on the information bank; define priority areas for action; design, implement, and evaluate initial projects; prepare an issues paper; hold national congresses on the strategy; define and implement subsequent projects; and elaborate the strategy. This concept paper will serve as a valuable guide to both the El Salvador USAID Mission and the Government of El Salvador in developing long-range plans for the stabilization, regeneration, and management of El Salvador"s dwindling natural resources. (Author abstract)