RÍO PLÁTANO BIOSPHERE RESERVE, Honduras — Deep inside Honduras’ protected forests, a battle is taking place between environmental defenders and deforestation. Deforestation rates in the country are among the highest in the Americas, threatening one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems. In 2024, its government launched a plan to eliminate deforestation by 2029, with a special focus on recovering land used by criminal groups for timber trafficking. The “Zero Deforestation by 2029” plan, launched by the National Defense and Security Council in May 2024, declared a state of emergency for the country’s forests and set aside funds to retake control of protected areas where agriculture, livestock, mining and other illegal activities have been thriving, often with the involvement of powerful criminal groups. And part of this plan involves building up an “environmental protection battalion” of 8,000 troops. However, the militarization of conservation has always been a controversial issue. “Militarization […] is not a long-term solution,” says Professor Kendra McSweeney, Professor of Geography, at The Ohio State University, who has been studying conservation in Central America. “Absent a larger investment in public policies, in leadership and in legal regimes that will enforce the law in those areas, it cannot work.” With young civilian scientists now leading armed patrols into jungles with cartel activity, the question remains: can militarized conservation stop forest loss, or is it creating new risks for conservation, environmental protectors and forests alike? Mongabay’s Video Team wants to cover questions and topics that matter to you. Are there any…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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