Northern Andes’ conservation drive
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The WWF (formerly the World Wide Fund for Nature) launched the northern Andes action plan six months ago. Its aim to tackle environmental issues such as the impact of oil exploitation, illegal crops like opium poppies and marijuana - as well as spreading farmland and endangered species. Local infrastructure are putting the environment under pressure Although the environment may not be a critical issue for the governments of this poverty- and drug-stricken area, “we’re trying to make them realise that it is a priority, as so many people are living in the region,” says Luis Naranjo, northern Andes co-ordinator for the project, based in Colombia. “They would not need much money for basic needs,” he told BBC News Online. The programme seeks to preserve biodiversity in an area spanning Ecuador, northern Peru, Venezuela and Colombia - where a total of 40 million people live. The area includes many big cities - Bogota, Quito, Medellin, Cali - which largely depend on local natural resources. Colombia is central to the region’s problems, as one of the main centres for drug crops, and also because it is at the core of the region, Mr Naranjo says. American and Colombian efforts to eradicate drug cultivation has meant it has sprung up in new areas such as in Peru or Venezuela. The expansion of local infrastructure such as roads, pipelines or hydroelectric projects is also putting pressure on the environment, while demand for clean water is increasing as population rises. New roads have been built, which has encouraged landless farmers to settle forested areas and lead to more deforestation as they try to eke out a living. To combat this, WWF is trying to increase awareness of the problem and engage the oil and electricity sectors in coming up with solutions. Bears in danger Another area of focus for the WWF has been endangered species - in particular the spectacled bear, among others. There are only 5,000 such bears left in the region. More : news.bbc.co.uk |