Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Mining contamination in La Oroya, a town in Peru's Andes, reached historic and shocking levels last week, reported El Comercio daily.

According to the daily, On Wednesday August 13, the monitoring station located closest to Doe Run Peru's metallurgical complex registered 27,000 micrograms of sulfur for every cubic meter of air.

Through the Air Quality Standard, Peruvian legislation only permits 354 micrograms of sulfur per cubic meter of air, explained El Comercio.

It was reported that these extremely high levels of sulfur were not only detected by monitors near Doe Run Peru's complex but also at hotels and in towns such as Marcavalle and Huari, which are several kilometers from the plant.

After reports of high levels of air pollution were released, the General Directorate for Environmental Health (DIGESA) placed the city in a state of emergency from 9:15 a.m. - 12:45 p.m., reported El Comercio.

Townspeople were told to close the windows to their homes and people with lung problems as well as pregnant women were told not to leave their houses.

Furthermore, it was reported that even though the citizens of La Oroya are used to the smell of sulfur, that day they had to walk through the streets with handkerchiefs covering their mouths and noses.

A delegation of Polish scientists, led by geologist Andrzej Paulo, recommended turning the Colca Canyon and its nearby area into a national park with the aim of protecting its natural beauty and the richness of the environment.

This team of geologists and other experts have been in southern Peru since 2003 to carry out scientific research and exploration in the Colca Canyon, located 169 Km (100 miles) northwest of Arequipa city.

Based on their experience in the area, the Polish experts said the Peruvian government should declare this area a national park to preserve the unique characteristics of the deepest canyon in the world.

"It has been shown that some parts of the Colca Canyon are over three kilometers deep, which show geological formations that are thousands of years old, hence the need to protect it", Paulo added.

In that sense, Paulo warned about the existence of 98 hotels near the Chiri River, of which only two are concerned about the disposal of their waste.

He suggested not giving permits for the construction of hotels on the edge of the canyon, because this would alter the landscape.

News source: ANDINA

Peru's environment minister, Antonio Brack said Wednesday that the production of transgenic food in Peru should be controlled with the aim of preserving native species such as the Giant White Corn from Cusco, a product having high demand in international markets.

"We have a great concern in Peru over the corn. We have fifty-five types of corn, including the purple and giant white corn from Urubamba (Cusco), which enjoys considerable success in foreign markets. Transgenics may contaminate our biodiversity", Brack said.

Brack added that the long-term impact of transgenic seeds on Peruvian soil should be studied and although transgenic crops are not banned, they must be regulated as soon as possible.

"This regulation is a matter of discussion at present. Should we use transgenic crops or continue producing organic foods while protecting our rich natural resources”, he wondered.

Transgenic products are those resulting from crops that have been genetically modified.

News source: ANDINA

Five scientists writing in a peer-reviewed journal have called for the ‘outright protection’ of lands belonging to uncontacted tribes in Peru and other countries in the western Amazon.

The article, published in PLoS ONE, highlights the dangers posed by oil and gas exploration to indigenous people and the natural environment. It states that 688,000 square kilometres of the western Amazon are now open to oil and gas companies.

The article reveals that in Peru alone almost half a million square kilometres can be explored – a massive 72% of the entire Peruvian rainforest. Many of these areas include uncontacted tribes’ land.

‘The scope and magnitude of planned activity appears unprecedented,’ the article states. ‘Proper attention to the rights of indigenous peoples and the outright protection of lands of people living in voluntary isolation, who, by definition cannot give informed consent, would bring exploration within widely accepted international norms of justice.

‘(Uncontacted tribes) are extremely vulnerable because they lack resistance or immunity from outsiders’ diseases. First contact results in high rates of morbidity and mortality, with mortality estimates ranging between a third and a half of the population within the first several years.’

Official Press Release

An expedition of local tourists and INC (National Institute of Culture) representatives will hike on Friday to the impressive waterfall recently found in the Amazonas region in northern Peru.

The expedition team, which will depart from Bagua Grande (capital town of the Utcubamba province), includes a topographer, local municipality representatives and a cameraman.

This waterfall is said to be higher than the magnificent 771-meter-high Gocta Waterfall located in Chachapoyas, a mystical province in northern Peru.

INC delegate in Utcubamba, Carlos Jiménez, said there is great expectation among local people to know the results of this expedition.

News source: ANDINA

A spectacular waterfall believed to be among the highest in the country was found in the jungle province of Uctubamba, located in Peru’s Amazonas region, local explorer Obed Cabanillas Silva announced on Tuesday.

This waterfall is said to be higher than the magnificent Gocta Waterfall which is 771 meters (2529 feet) high and located in Chachapoyas, northern Peru.

Adventurers who wish to explore this natural spot should pass by the village of San Antonio and then take a three-hour walk along a gorgeous hiking trail.

Cabanillas mentioned that on the way to the waterfall, explorers will find stone structures which are surrounded by lush vegetation and orchids.

It was reported that locals knew of the existence of this waterfall but never wanted to give any information because they feared the area would be damaged.

News source: ANDINA

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Government authorities in Loreto, Peru's largest and northernmost region, have announced that measures are being and will be taken to protect, care for and preserve the lives of pink dolphins and other mammals in captivity.

It was reported that anyone who had a pink Amazon River dolphin, Inia geoffrensis, or "bufeo colorado” as they are known in Peru, will have 60 days to report to the Regional Production Directorate and explain why the animal is being kept in captivity.

The new regulation will also apply to gray river dolphins and the Amazonian manatee or "vaca marina".

According to an ordinance published in the country's official gazette, not reporting to the regional directorate will result in fines and punishment for breaking the law.

In a report issued by the Regional Production Directorate, the urgent need to protect and conserve the Amazon River dolphins and Amazonian manatees that had been taken into captivity was stressed.

The effort to help these mammals is being supported by Yván Vásquez Valera, the governor of Loreto.

In the last 33 years, a loss of 26 percent of the Cordillera Blanca (White Mountain Range) surface has been registered, due to global warming, the director of the Glaciology Unit of the National Institute of Natural Resources (Inrena) Marco Zapata, reported Tuesday.

He said in 1970, the White Mountain Range surface totaled 723 square kilometers, but in 1997 it was found that it had lost 112 square kilometers, according to research done by Peru’s National Environment Council (Conam).

“Now, Satellite pictures show that in the last 33 years the White Mountain Range surface is about 535 square kilometers, which means that during this period the surface of the mountain lost 188 square kilometers, 26 percent”, he said.

The expert mentioned this is the conclusion resulting from the National Inventory of Glaciers and High Andean Lakes, which will officially be presented in two moths.

This document will show how many glaciers exist at the moment, and how many kilometers and volume they have lost due to global warming.

News source: ANDINA

Peru's Minister of the Environment, Antonio Brack, and the UN Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Peru, Jorge Chediek, will sign an agreement on sustainable management of environmental resources to reduce climate change impact on high Andean micro-basins.

The event will take place today at 16:00 pm (21:00 GMT) at the UNDP headquarters located in the Limean district of Miraflores.

Maria Teresa Nunez Gascon, General Coordinator of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), will also attend today’s meeting.

With this support, the Ministry of the Environment will promote the management of climate change-induced risks in the micro-basins.

It will tackle issues such as soil contamination, glacier melting, reduction of water resources, deforestation and cattle management and impact on health.

News source: ANDINA

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

People across Lima have had the chance to enjoy some sunshine and warmer weather for the past ten days.

While Limeans usually wake up to drizzle and fog around this time of year, there have recently been more pleasant weather conditions.

According to SENAMHI, the country's weather service, residents in metropolitan Lima can expect to have temperatures between 17° and 20° C (62.6 - 68°F) until Wednesday, after which temperatures may begin to drop.

It was reported that sunshine would be seen until today - Tuesday and that temperatures would fluctuate between 17° and 20° C.

On the other hand, weather reports affirmed that Wednesday would be cloudier and temperatures would begin to decline.

Jorge Chira, a meteorologist for SENAMHI explained that signals used to forecast Lima's weather varied frequently, making it difficult to provide forecasts too far into the future.

"Being absolutely sure about what is happening in the coastal region is very difficult in these circumstances because winds vary drastically and that can make a forecast change from one day to another," said Chira.

He did state, however, that there were signs there would be cloudier weather in the middle of the week.