HND

With its varied ecosystems, from montane forests to rainforests and mangrove swamps, and awakening environmental awareness, some conservation groups believe Honduras may be poised to follow in the footsteps of Costa Rica. Nevertheless, Honduras suffered the greatest percentage loss of forest cover of any country in Latin America over the past generation. Between 1990 and 2005, 37.1% of the forests of Honduras disappeared. Worse, since the close of the 1990s, Honduras’ rate of forest loss has increased by 9%. While the government has increasingly taken a pro-environment stance by establishing 118 protected areas, there remains the challenge of gaining support from people who rely on forests for subsistence activities. A blossoming grassroots environmental movement has stepped in and is seen by many conservationists as a key to the future of the country’s environment. The existing Protected Areas (PAs) in Honduras cover 23.45% of the terrestrial area and 4.58% of marine area. These PAs come under all IUCN management categories, and are governed by national ministry, indigenous people, and individual landowners.