Urban Growth to Blame for Guadalajara Fire Nancy Lopez Sanchez - The News
go to original April 27, 2012

The fire at Bosque de la Primavera in Guadalajara has devastated about 7800 hectares. (EFE)

The department of environmental sciences at the University of Guadalajara, stated that urban encroachment was the main cause of the fire that broke out in the Bosque de la Primavera in Jalisco last weekend.

To date, the Bosque de la Primavera fire has destroyed more than 7,800 hectares, or about one-quarter of the forest. Federal Natural Resources Secretary Juan Elvira Quesada said the fire was 70 percent extinguished by late Wednesday night. Officials said the fire was started by squatters seeking to take over the land.

Last year, authorities extinguished 14 fires in the same area. “The increased frequency of fires is an extraordinary development in urbanization,” the department said. “At any point where we push the natural limits of a forest, situations will arise that jeopardize that forest.”

Meanwhile, researchers at the department of biological and agricultural sciences at the University Center, located in Guadalajara, criticized authorities for not acting sooner. According to law, the state government must wait 24 hours before drafting an emergency plan to combat environmental disasters.

“Although the law says that 24 hours must pass before determining emergency actions, the law does not say that emergency measures cannot be taken to prevent further damage,” the department said.

The department noted that authorities have not given enough importance to forest management. In Mexico, most forests are privately owned but are maintained by public funds. “It is not about trying to buy the forest. The solution is changing the conduct of the public, decision makers and property owners, and getting them to agree on criteria for the benefit of all,” said the department. “There must be something that both the people and property owners can gain.”

Researchers from the University Center also said that actions to prevent the forest from eroding must be taken soon, especially as the rainy season is less than two months away.

We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!