Environmental Issues in Peru

peru’s environmental issues stem from the over-extraction and pollution of

natural resources.

For decades, the Peruvian government has lacked serious oversight of bigs
industries. It has also seen corrupt politicians allow companies into
environmentally fragile areas in exchange for bribes. In recent years, however,
regulatory agencies have begun to crack down on pollution in Peru. Even so,
there is still lots of work to do.

Acording to … this is the mos dangered environmental issues in Peru

Oil & Gas

Oil and gas exploration in the Amazon has led to deforestation, soil and water
pollution, and the displacement of local indigenous groups. Producers are
seeking oil and gas in increasingly remote areas and are threatening to disrupt
the ecological balance of these ecosystems. Habitat loss due to the installation
of pipelines can seriously threaten biodiversity.

Mining

Mining has also been an issue in Peru, due to The effects can result in erosion,
sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, or the contamination of soil, groundwater, and
surface water by the chemicals emitted from mining processes. These
processes also affect the atmosphere from the emissions of carbon which have
an effect on the quality of human health and biodiversity.

companies in some countries are required to follow strict environmental and

rehabilitation codes to ensure that the mined area returns to its original state.

Pollution & Waste

Sewage treatment is shoddy in parts of Peru and has led to water pollution in
rivers and coastal areas. In fact, the beaches around Lima are sometimes
deemed unsuitable for swimming. Waste disposal is also an issue, and
recycling is virtually non-existent. It’s not uncommon to see plastic garbage
stuck along the shores of some rivers.

Rainforests

The Amazon river's origins are in Peru and its rainforests are home to some of
the most important and diverse habitats on the planet. Peru's forests are under
threat from a variety of sources including deforestation, logging, oil exploration,
chemical spraying to eradicate coca production, and internal migration and
farming. Habitat destruction includes the loss of land and culture by indigenous
rainforest peoples.

Agricultural development also threatens rainforests in Peru as well as world

wide. In addition to illegal plants, once roads are built for logging, Huge areas of
the Amazon basin have been cleared for plantations to grow sugar, bananas,
and other export crops.

What Can I do to Help?

Education about environmental issues is vital; however education without action

is empty and heartless. So begin with awareness, but follow through with action.
And action can be as simple as making thoughtful choices in your daily life. Eat
no beef; use only renewable wood or forest products; drive less or use public
transportation; don't buy endangered or exotic species as pets; resist
globalization. Information about

• Peruvian Environmental and Cultural Preservation Organizations:

• AymaraNet
• Peruvian Amazon Indian Institute
• Peruvian Association for the Conservation of Nature
• Tambopata Reserve Society