{"id":8840,"date":"2021-05-28T15:09:16","date_gmt":"2021-05-28T23:09:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/?p=8840"},"modified":"2021-05-28T15:09:16","modified_gmt":"2021-05-28T23:09:16","slug":"trees-guarantee-for-a-healthy-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/environment\/trees-guarantee-for-a-healthy-city\/?lang=en","title":{"rendered":"Trees: Guarantee for a Healthy City"},"content":{"rendered":"

For: Diana Pastor<\/b><\/p>\n

The Covid-19 pandemic made evident that one of the most valuable riches for human beings is the joy of being able to breathe, and in our daily lives, to breathe clean air; our most important allies are trees.\u00a0 However, it seems that the municipality of Quetzaltenango does not have the same opinion, since for the execution of its projects, in the past few months a large number of trees have been cut down for new construction.\u00a0 The felling of trees has been a normal situation with past city administrations; however, in 2020, with the arrival of Juan Fernando Lopez, the cutting increased disproportionately, which has been the object of contention between the government and the population.<\/span><\/p>\n

Trees, in addition to being important elements in the city\u2019s landscape, provide a number of environmental, aesthetic, scenic, recreational, social and economic benefits.\u00a0 They have helped the city for years to absorb carbon dioxide, the main contributor to global warming, cleaning the air and acting as filters, returning clean oxygen.\u00a0 Furthermore, they serve as an excellent natural heat regulator.\u00a0 Due to the shade and the evaporation released by their leaves, they are able to lower the environmental temperature between 2 and 8 degrees centigrade on hot days and can even regulate humidity and wind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other benefits of trees include – depending on their location and quantity – improved soil and the regulation of the water cycle, helping to reduce the volume of the water currents during rainfall and avoiding the risk of possible floods.\u00a0 They increase urban biodiversity by hosting various animal and plant species.\u00a0 Similarly, they embellish the city increasing its attraction, thus improving the potential and commercial value of homes and businesses.\u00a0 So, if they are so beneficial, why are they cutting down so many trees lately?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Guillermo Monterroso, director of INAB in Quetzaltenango, explains that many of the species that are in the city (especially in flowerbeds), are not suitable for a metropolis.\u00a0 Trees such as cypress and different types of pine have very strong roots that can easily break through pavement or asphalt.\u00a0 He explains: \u201cWhen the streets suffer damage or city work is done, the tree roots are normally cut or eliminated to prevent damage to the new infrastructure.\u00a0 It is there that they lose anchoring and any strong wind caused by some climate phenomenon can affect them, causing them to fall.<\/span><\/p>\n

Monterroso indicates that the problem with trees in Quetzaltenango is not just about having inadequate species planted, it is also due to maintenance, which for years, trees have lacked.\u00a0 He mentions, \u201cThere are many trees that could have been pruned and cleaned in their early years…early on you can start the pruning and determine its height\u201d.\u00a0 In addition to the lack of maintenance, cutting illegally or in suspicious circumstances is a problem more common than it seems.\u00a0 In 2019 for example, several trees located in Zone 3 in Quetzaltenango, in the intercultural center area, were cut without having permission or a license to do so.\u00a0 In 2016, a hundred-year-old tree was cut \u201cby mistake\u201d while a well-known shopping center was being constructed between Esperanza and Quetzaltenango.<\/span><\/p>\n

Clearly, the city hasn\u2019t implemented a comprehensive reforestation project, since on occasion, there\u2019s a long time between the cutting of an old tree and the planting of a new one, or worse, another one is never planted;\u00a0 Nor does it monitor the growth of planted trees and other times species are introduced that are not adequate to the city\u2019s needs.\u00a0 \u201cHere in Guatemala – says Monterroso – we have the privilege of having many types of wood that grow more quickly than in other countries.\u00a0 In addition, he says, \u201cSmall ornamental trees have been introduced that grow more slowly and are not sufficient for a large city like Quetzaltenango\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

And don\u2019t miss in our next issue our article: \u201cBicentennial Parks: Community Benefit or Government Business?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For: Diana Pastor The Covid-19 pandemic made evident that one of the most valuable riches for human beings is the joy of being able to breathe, and in our daily lives, to breathe clean air; our most important allies are trees.\u00a0 However, it seems that the municipality of Quetzaltenango does not have the same opinion, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":8837,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[415,417,453],"tags":[3084,3085,3083,3086,3087,3082],"class_list":["post-8840","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment","category-forests","category-frontpage-en","tag-consequence-of-tree-felling","tag-deforestation-in-quetzaltenango","tag-healthy-city","tag-juan-fernando-and-tree-felling","tag-tree-felling-in-xela","tag-trees"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/181921444_3031664477053144_7517464597434960390_n.jpg?fit=622%2C819&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7ljt7-2iA","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":11592,"url":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/economy\/megaprojects\/our-tree-neighbours\/?lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":8840,"position":0},"title":"Our Tree Neighbours","author":"EntreMundos","date":"19 enero, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"BY VALERIA LEIVA\/TRANSLATION BY MAX LEIGHTON\u00a0 The municipal administration of Quetzaltenango ordered the felling of trees at the city\u2019s Benito Ju\u00e1rez Park. Neighbors, merchants and experts speak out against the decision. Each city is an urban ecosystem of its own. You might think that within the ecosystem of a city,\u2026","rel":"","context":"En \u00abClimate Change\u00bb","block_context":{"text":"Climate Change","link":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/category\/environment\/climate-change\/?lang=en"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/img_1121-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/img_1121-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/img_1121-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/img_1121-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/img_1121-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13001,"url":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/uncategorized\/breaking-the-concrete\/?lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":8840,"position":1},"title":"Breaking the Concrete","author":"EntreMundos","date":"23 julio, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Valeria Leiva \/ Translated by Emma Porter\u00a0 The Recovery of Green Spaces in the City of Quetzaltenango The city of Quetzaltenango, like many municipalities, has been the victim of irresponsible political decisions that have affected collective well-being. The felling of more than 400 trees without a long-term transition plan\u2026","rel":"","context":"En \u00abCommunity Action\u00bb","block_context":{"text":"Community Action","link":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/category\/politics\/community-action-en-2\/?lang=en"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/despues2.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/despues2.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/despues2.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/despues2.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/despues2.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3412,"url":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/uncategorized\/combative-poetry-from-a-young-kaqchikel-poet\/?lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":8840,"position":2},"title":"Combative poetry from a young Maya Kaqchikel poet","author":"EntreMundos","date":"11 septiembre, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"By Juan Jos\u00e9 Alvarado Sitavi 1. Yesterday\u2019s woman, today \u201cIndian!\u201d is the first thing that barefoot woman heard. \u201cMaria,\u201d everyone called her, though she had her own name. \u201cGet out of the way!\u201d those people said to her. \u201cYou hear?\u201d they repeated to her in a language she didn\u2019t know.\u2026","rel":"","context":"En \u00abCulture\u00bb","block_context":{"text":"Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/category\/culture\/?lang=en"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/seresjuanalvarado2.png?fit=822%2C1196&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/seresjuanalvarado2.png?fit=822%2C1196&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/seresjuanalvarado2.png?fit=822%2C1196&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/seresjuanalvarado2.png?fit=822%2C1196&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8324,"url":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/pagetwo-en\/hiking-and-walking-trails-in-quetzaltenango\/?lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":8840,"position":3},"title":"Hiking and walking trails in Quetzaltenango","author":"Majo Recinos","date":"15 febrero, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Have you found yourself in Xela wanting to go for a nice walk? 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Cerro El Ba\u00fal\u00a0 Located within the city\u2026","rel":"","context":"En \u00abPageTwo\u00bb","block_context":{"text":"PageTwo","link":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/category\/pagetwo-en\/?lang=en"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/baul1.jpeg?fit=1152%2C546&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/baul1.jpeg?fit=1152%2C546&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/baul1.jpeg?fit=1152%2C546&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/baul1.jpeg?fit=1152%2C546&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/baul1.jpeg?fit=1152%2C546&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11065,"url":"https:\/\/www.entremundos.org\/revista\/economy\/from-trees-to-poles\/?lang=en","url_meta":{"origin":8840,"position":4},"title":"From trees to poles","author":"EntreMundos","date":"20 julio, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Xela means between 10 mountains. 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