Climate change, added to deforestation and change of land use, is accelerating the transformation of wet areas into arid areas in Guatemala. This causes a double threat: the Dry Corridor advance and the loss of biodiversity in a vital region.
“Rainy patterns have changed. 20 years ago there was moisture even in dry season; today that has disappeared,” said Gerardo Paiz, executive undersecretary of the National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP).
The dry corridor covers 46 municipalities, where it is estimated that 1.6 million people live with food insecurity and malnutrition, direct result of the climatic impact. However, this ecosystem goes beyond its arid appearance: it houses a richness of species that perform essential functions for human life, such as the retention of moisture in the soil.
A vital ecosystem in crisis
The dry forest is far from being a sterile desert. There are about 52 species of cacti in Guatemala, of which 27 are distributed in the dry corridor and are in danger of extinction, according to the national red list.
“The flora is under more pressure because soil humidity is no longer the same,” Paiz explained. The change of vegetation, with the loss of trees and plants of deep roots, reduces the ability of the soil to preserve the available moisture, affecting both biodiversity and human communities.
In addition, the deviation of rivers and currents for agricultural and domestic uses has reduced access to natural water, increasing water pressure in these ecosystems.
Species on the edge of collapse
The red list of threatened species of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) warns that in the dry forest of the Motagua Valley there are more than 20 endangered species.
Among them, the “sleeping child” stands out (Heloderma Charlesbogerti), a endemic poisonous lizard from Guatemala and one of the most poisonous five in the world, which is estimated to be only 500 copies due to the loss of habitat.
The disappearance of pollinators such as bees, insects and bats, essential for agriculture. The minor magueyero bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae), key in the pollination of succulents and cactus, is at risk, which could aggravate food insecurity in the country.
Other threatened species include green iguana, Garrobo, Mazacuata, various bromelia and trees such as the southern mahogany.
“Every species that disappears is an ecological function that is lost. And if the function is lost, the life that depends on it is also lost. That includes us,” Paiz emphasized.
The drought progresses and the future is uncertain
The expansion of the dry corridor is a sign of the serious environmental deterioration. Areas that were previously wet now dry, reducing soil capacity to retain water. To this is added that more than 90% of water sources in Guatemala are contaminated.
“We could say that the dry areas of Guatemala are spreading, displacing wet areas,” said Paiz, although he acknowledges that there is still no complete fact about the impact of this transformation.
Currently, CONAP works in coordination with academic institutions to investigate and better understand the effects of climate change on national biodiversity.
Urgent actions to protect the dry forest
Given this panorama, Conap proposes urgent measures:
- Restore dry forest ecosystems.
- Strengthen education and social awareness.
- Promote respect for hunting laws.
- Fight illegal species trade.
- Promote scientific research on climate change impacts.
“We are losing not only species, but also the possibility of having more food available to ourselves,” Paiz concluded.