The natural forests and forest plantations in the OIRSA region have been affected over the years by various bark beetles, such as the pine bark beetleDendroctonus frontalis), which is causing the most damage in Central America. This pest is causing significant economic, social, and ecological losses, exacerbated by the negative impacts of climate change, including high temperatures and prolonged droughts that promote forest pest proliferation.
In this regard, this regional program has helped strengthen member countries through diagnostic workshops on pine bark stripper species (seminars in Mexico and Honduras). Recent emergencies declared in Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala have been supported; to date, the pest is at low levels, allowing areas with pine forests to recover.
In collaboration with CONAFOR from Mexico, a diploma course on pine bark beetles was developed for technicians from OIRSA member countries. The objective of the diploma course was to transfer knowledge about the identification, biology, monitoring, control, and importance of bark beetles affecting temperate forest ecosystems in Mexico in order for participants to standardize or establish criteria for their combat.
Finally, the Subregional Action Plan for Forest Pest Management (PASMPF) was developed based on the guidelines of the Regional Strategy for Forest Health and Sanitation for Central America and the Dominican Republic 2016-2026 (ERSSF) with the support and experience of the International Regional Organization for Agricultural Health (OIRSA) as the regional international organization for Plant Health, which supports countries in the knowledge and quarantine management of exotic organisms; and with the existence of a group of regional experts whose work can be mobilized and coordinated to support the official forest health and sanitation sector. These three elements are addressed in such a way that a coherent work plan was generated to achieve the objectives of the PASMPF. During the development of the work plan, the need for updating concepts and processes in the areas of forest health and sanitation was evident, especially because during the dynamics of the Plan, the areas of plant health interacted with those of forest health and sanitation, and although they are very similar (hence the feasibility of cooperation), they have significant differences in terms of their applications and scopes.
