Peru to 're-grow forests'

2007-07-20 16:11

Lima - Peru has launched an ambitious drive to re-grow millions of hectares of jungle and forests laid bare by illegal logging, pollution and slash-and-burn farming, officials said on Thursday.

The immediate goal is to reforest more than 100 000 square kilometres (the size of South Korea) of forest that have been devastated these past 40 years, said National Institute of Natural Resources (Inrena) president Roberto Angeles.

Inrena has begun a massive planting program in Peru's Amazon jungle basin, along the Pacific coastline and in the Andes highlands with a variety of trees including eucalyptus, pine, cypress, walnut, cedar, alder, ash and poplar.

In mahogany saplings alone, the institute plans to plant one million in the next two years.

"The importance of managed forests is that they are fully exploitable, compared to natural forests which, when completely uprooted, would cause the destruction of the ecosystem," said Angeles.

Computer-regulated irrigation systems

He said the reforestation program relies on 1 680 nurseries across the country that together can grow 52 million saplings per year and will soon be equipped with more efficient computer-regulated irrigation systems.

Inrena said it currently manages some 200 square kilometres of forests around the country with 2 000 employees.

By comparison, Chile manages 22 000 square kilometres of forest with 250 000 employees, and Brazil has 60 000 square kilometres managed by 800 000 employees.

The Peruvian territory includes 680 000 square kilometres of forests, 93 percent in the Amazon jungle basin, four percent along the coastline and three percent in the Andean highlands.

International environmental groups have estimated that Earth is losing its forest covering at the rate of five percent a year.

- AFP