Honduras has only met 5 of the 18 goals of the Zero Deforestation Strategy 2029
Tegucigalpa, April 24 (EFEverde).- Honduras has only completed five of the 18 actions planned in the "Zero Deforestation 2029" strategy, according to a report recently released by the NGO Association for a More Just Society (ASJ), which urges the State to implement effective transparency and accountability mechanisms.
"Almost a year after the launch of the Zero Deforestation by 2029 Strategy, only five of the 18 actions contemplated in the plan have been implemented," notes an independent evaluation presented by the ASJ, with the support of Transparency International and the Waverley Street Foundation.
The report warns that "13 of the 18 actions remain unfulfilled, eight of which have shown no progress, and only five are in the process of being implemented."
In June 2024, Honduran President Xiomara Castro presented the strategy to combat deforestation through 2029, with an investment of 19 billion lempiras (738.3 million euros).
Among the pending measures are the annulment of illegal property titles in forest areas, the regulation of irregularly granted municipal permits for river dredging and the exploitation of forest resources, as well as the strengthening of environmental battalions, whose capacity was planned to expand to 8,000 troops.
Although the appointment of specialized judges has been achieved, the ASJ warns of "serious logistical and budgetary limitations" that hinder the effective handling of environmental cases. Nor has it provided clear information on the implementation of incentive systems, nor has it been specified whether these correspond to the provisions of the Forestry Law or to new mechanisms.
The organization classifies several actions as "unfulfilled" due to the lack of verification mechanisms by the responsible institutions, which makes it impossible to objectively measure progress.
Adding to this lack of progress is the lack of specific budget allocations. The 2024 and 2025 general budget does not include specific structures to implement the strategy: the 1 billion lempiras (US$38.8 million) promised for 2024 were not allocated, and the 2 billion lempiras (US$77.7 million) announced for 2025 lack clarity regarding their implementation, the document adds.
The reportThe report highlights a "deep institutional weakness" in the prosecution of environmental crimes, due to a lack of human, logistical, and operational resources in specialized prosecutors' offices and courts.
This situation has contributed to serious cases, such as the murder of environmental leader Juan López in September 2024, remaining unpunished, the ASJ stated, after detailing that 94% of environmental crimes in Honduras go unpunished.
The ASJ called on the State to rethink the national strategy, establish clear mechanisms for inter-institutional coordination, allocate adequate resources, and guarantee transparency and accountability measures.
He also urged the government to prioritize forest fire prevention, promote sustainable agricultural practices, strengthen the legal framework against environmental crimes, and actively involve local communities in sustainable forest management.
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