Weathering, Mass Wasting, and Erosion
Mass wasting is a large problem in Honduras. Normal counter measures like terraces are extremely labor intensive and require frequent upkeep. Honduras is the second most affected country by climate changes and experiences heavy flooding and many landlsides.
DEFORESTATION
Deforestation reduces the soils ability to absorb water. In October 2025, There were a reported 15 fatalities and a total of 29,000 people displaced by landslides. Around 2,000 homes were damaged. Authorities declared a state of emergency for the departments of Francisco Morazán, La Paz, Intibucá, and Lempira, as well as the capital district.
The Government of Honduras has begun to install early warning systems to protect against flooding and landslides across the country in partnership with NGOs such as GOAL, the Munich Re Foundation and with the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
Deforestation is large and complex problem. Agriculture has cause over 50% of Honduras’s natural forests to be cut down to make space for agriculture, mainly cattle ranching. The FAO estimated the total area deforested in Honduras at 6.36 million hectares in 2020, from a total land area of 11.19 million hectares.
In 1998, Hurricane Mitch triggered landslides and flooding that killed over 9000 and displaced 3,000,000.
Rivers
The Choluteca River ravaged the capital of Honduras during Hurricane Mitch in 1998. when 75 inches of rain swelled it’s banks to 6x higher than normal, it permanently changed it’s course and washed away several villages, forever altering the landscape.
Length 349 km (217 mi)
Basin size7,681 km2 (2,966 sq mi)
Source: Choluteca
Outlet: Culf of Fonseca
Coco River
Source: Somoto Canyon
Mouth: Mosquita, Carribean coast
This river forms the border between Honduras and neighboring country Nicaragua
Length: 841 km (523 mi)
Basin size: 27,000 km2 (10,000 sq mi)
Deserts and Glaciers
Honduras does not have any deserts or glaciers in it’s borders. It is a tropical climate with rainforests and savannahs, as well as cloud forests.
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