No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveWhat Kissinger Report Overlooked

What Kissinger Report Overlooked

Feb. 24, 1984

A half-century ago, Costa Rica’s many mountain rivers and streams tumbled sparklingly to the sea. Today it is difficult to find a river that is not heavily clouded with mud.

The waterways are clogged with the nation’s topsoil, which they carry away forever.

This phenomenon becomes more acute as one moves north through Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.

Four percent of Honduran forests are being cleared every year for fuel wood and farmland. Guatemala lost about 35 percent of its forest cover from 1950 to 1980. At the present rate of timbering, Costa Rica’s forests will be depleted within 20 years.

“The rich volcanic soils are very prone to erosion once the tree cover has been removed,” Canadian environmentalist David Runnalls comments in his recent report. “This in turn decreases soil fertility and silts up reservoirs, decreasing drinking water supplies.”

The author points out that the recent report of the bipartisan Kissinger Commission, established by Reagan to study the turmoil in Central America, “well sums up the conventional wisdom about economic development.” But, he says, the report “fails to recommend a single measure for restoration of the region’s natural resource base.

The commission’s recommendations … are totally unworkable without a major program of land, forest and watershed rehabilitation.”

 

Trending Now

Costa Rica Joins U.S. Global Entry, Easing Travel for Tourists

Costa Rica took a big step forward, by officially joining the U.S. Global Entry program, a move set to make travel smoother for Costa...

Life After MS-13 in El Salvador as Residents Seek a Fragile Peace

Esperanza Martinez lost three relatives who were murdered and saw numerous bodies left in the streets of her neighborhood, a former stronghold of the...

Guatemala Offers Asylum to Nicaraguan Migrants Deported by U.S.

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo announced on Friday that his country will grant asylum to Nicaraguan migrants deported by the United States who do not...

Prisma Dental in Costa Rica Keeps Customers Happy and Smiling

I am 81 years old and have had teeth removed, bridges, and cavities fixed several times to sustain my ability to eat and function....

Costa Rica’s Top Court Bans President Chaves from 2026 Election Campaign

Costa Rica’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal on Thursday barred President Rodrigo Chaves from participating in the 2026 election campaign, ruling that he "illegitimately used" his...

Costa Rica Maintains Economic Stability Amid Global Tensions

Costa Rica is holding steady economically despite global tensions sparked by conflicts involving Israel, the United States, and Iran, according to Federico Quesada Chaves,...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica