Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Peru faces major challenges in the stewardship of its natural resources, with problems com-
pounded by a lack of law enforcement and its impenetrable geography. Deforestation and
erosion are major issues, as is industrial pollution, urban sprawl and the continuing attemp-
ted eradication of coca plantations on some Andean slopes (see boxed text below ). In addi-
tion, the Inter-Oceanic Hwy through the heart of the Amazon may imperil thousands of
square kilometers of rainforest.
Deforestation & Water Problems
At the ground level, clear-cutting of the highlands for firewood, of the rainforests for valu-
able hardwoods, and of both to clear land for agriculture, oil drilling and mining has led to
severe erosion. In the highlands, where deforestation and overgrazing of Andean wood-
lands and
puna
grass is severe, soil quality is rapidly deteriorating. In the Amazon rain-
forest, deforestation has led to erosion and a decline in bellwether species such as frogs.
Erosion has also led to decreased water quality in this area, where silt-laden water is unable
to support microorganisms at the base of the food chain.
Other water-related problems include pollution from mining in the highlands. Sewage
contamination along the coast has led to many beaches around some coastal cities being de-
clared unfit for swimming. In the south, pollution and overfishing have led to the continued
decline of the Humboldt penguin (its numbers have declined by more than a third since the
1980s).
Protective Steps
In the early 1990s, Peru took steps to formulate
a national environmental and natural resource
code, but the government (occupied with a
bloody guerrilla war in the highlands) lacked the
funding and political will to enforce it. In 1995 Peru's congress created a National Environ-
mental Council (CONAM) to manage the country's national environmental policy. Though
there have been some success stories (eg flagrant polluters being fined for poor practices),
enforcement remains weak.
Some positive measures are being taken to help protect the country's environment. For
example, the Peruvian government and private interests within the tourism industry have
come together to develop sustainable travel projects in the Amazon. In 2005, Peru became
one of 17 Latin American countries, along with Spain, to sign the Amazon River Declara-
Monga Bay (
www.mongabay.com
)
is an excellent
online resource for news and information related to
the Amazon and rainforests around the world.
