UNEP's Bulletin
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
UNEP’s Bulletin Latin America and the Caribbean July - August 2011 GEO Titicaca Final outcomes of the Project to Support Integrated and Participatory Water Management in the Titicaca Basin Government of Spain funding for the initiative “ECCO Trujillo was The planet, our starting under a point and it magnifying will be part glass of our history” Analysis of the first draft César Acuña, mayor of Trujillo Field visit to Ccsacancha of the report in Panama (Cotabambas, Apurímac). Joint Programme Peru Montserrat Valeiras Green carpet rolled out in Workshops Mexico Opening of FICMA- . Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) UNEP Film Festival, . Radiowaves for responding to climate change in Panama Mexico 2011 . Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit-Sharing among local communities . Training course on drafting environmental legislation . Sustainable public procurement UNEP’s Bulletin - Latin America and the Caribbean Highlights Caribbean - The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) and the European Union (EU) Caricom - The New secretary-general of signed an agreement which includes the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Mexico - The European Commission and an allocation of 8 million Euros to Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, assumed the Mexican Secretariat of Environment and support several CARIFORUM duties on Monday 15 August. Natural Resources of Mexico held high-level talks countries in meeting the challenges in July on Environment and Climate Change. The of climate change. aim was to follow up on bilateral work on green economy, climate change, biodiversity, among other environmental issues. Antigua and Barbuda - Antigua and Barbuda has become the tenth signatory of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing in the region, joining Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Uruguay. Suriname - Suriname’s President, Desi Bouterse, installed the Climate Guatemala - Luis Zurita Tablada became Compatible Development Agency (CCDA), Guatemala’s new Environment Minister. which will be tasked with formulating He had served as Vice Minister of Government's climate change policies Environment from 2008. Guatemala’s and with leading the execution of the general elections will take place on country's Climate Compatible September 11th. Development Strategy. Panama - Panama Vice-President, Juan Carlos Varela, announced that Panama would host the preparatory meetings for the UN Brazil – The wind power generation in climate change conference in South Brazil will increase by 600 percent over Africa at the end of the year. The the next three years, from the meetings in Panama City will take Peru – After defeating Keiko current1,000 megawatts to 7,000 place during the first week of Fujimori in June's second megawatts by 2014, driven among other October. electoral round, Ollanta Humala factos by the arrival of the largest foreign was sworn in as new Peruvian president in July, vowing to eradicate poverty in one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America. Physicist Ricardo Giesecke, was appointed Environment Minister. Venezuela - Venezuela's crude oil Chile – Peaceful student protests demanding reform of the proven reserves surpassed those of Chilean government's education system, turned violent as Saudi Arabia in 2010, according to school and university students clashed with police. the Organization of Petroleum Protesters called for an end to for-profit educational Exporting Countries. According to institutions, lower interest rates for student loans, among OPEC, Venezuela's proven crude oil other measures. reserves had reached 296.5 billion barrels in 2010, higher than Saudi Arabia's 264.5 billion barrels. 2 UNEP’s Bulletin - Latin America and the Caribbean Panama readies itself for Rio+20 UNEP holds first informational workshop on Rio+20 process The date of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development 2012 is fast approaching. With Rio+20 less than a year away, the different countries are preparing for this global meeting that will take place in June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Panama held its first Informational Workshop on the Rio+20 process in late July, ahead of the national consultation in The Director General of International Programme Officer of the United preparation for its country report. The Agencies and Conferences, Tomás National Development Programme workshop also provided a forum for Guardia, inaugurated the workshop, at (UNDP) in Panama and official in charge examining the participation of Panama in which the following persons took part as of issues related to sustainable the Regional Preparatory Meeting of the speakers: Margarita Astrálaga, Director development and the environment. Countries of Latin America and the and Regional Representative of the The meeting, held at the Ministry of Caribbean of the United Nations United Nations Environment Programme Foreign Affairs, was also attended by Conference on Sustainable Development, (UNEP); Silvano Vergara, General Deputy officials from several other ministries and scheduled for 7, 8 and 9 September, at Administrator of the National government agencies that take part in the headquarters of the Economic Environmental Authority (ANAM) of the design and implementation of Commission for Latin America and the Panama; Mara Murillo, Deputy Regional development policies for Panama. Caribbean (ECLAC), in Santiago, Chile. Director; as well as Gisele Didier, National Green economy in the Brazilian The hearing was chaired by Senator She stressed that positive, concrete Cristovam Buarque, president of the results could be obtained by reallocating Senate Subcommittee. Participants included an investment equivalent to only 2% of Maria Amélia Enriquez, of the Brazilian global gross domestic product to a low- The UNEP Brazil office took part in a Society for an Ecological Economy; carbon, resource-efficient economy. public hearing on green economy Donald Sawyer, professor at the Centre promoted by the Brazilian Senate's The participants also addressed issues for Sustainable Development of the Standing Subcommittee to Support related to the increasing pressure on University of Brasilia; and Elisa Tonda, Rio+20. natural resources, population growth and head of the UNEP Brazil office. the importance of moving from Senator Buarque opened the unsustainable patterns of production and discussion by stressing that, in consumption to a scenario for more his opinion, green economy sustainable economic growth. was one of the most complex At the end of the session, Senator issues of Rio+20. Elisa Tonda Buarque thanked UNEP for its referred to the issue of green participation in the public hearing and economy in line with the stressed his willingness to continue contents of the UNEP Report working with this UN program in the run- on Green Economy. up to Rio+20. 3 UNEP’s Bulletin - Latin America and the Caribbean GEO Titicaca New challenges for the sacred lake of the Incas Final outcomes of the Project to Support Integrated and Participatory Water Management in the Titicaca Basin Legend has it that Lake Titicaca was born Government of Spain funding for the The city of La Paz hosted the of the tears shed by the Sun, the god of initiative presentation of the final outcomes of the the Incas, over the death of its children. project at a binational meeting held on 7 From its vantage point in the central The Government of Spain's Ministry of and 8 July. The event was attended by Andes, at between 3,600 and 6,500 the Environment and Rural and Marine more than 70 representatives of national, metres above sea level, this sacred place Affairs has contributed US$1.6 million to regional and local authorities from Peru has marked the life of the countless finance this initiative. UNEP has and Bolivia, of the Lake Titicaca inhabitants and cultures that have been encouraged the Governments of Bolivia Binational Authority and of other blessed by the fertility of its waters. and Peru, which share the basin, and the organizations and institutions. These same waters are now afflicted by Lake Titicaca Binational Authority, to join pollution, from various sources, and the forces. spread of invasive species. The need to preserve this unique environment, with its great wealth and diversity of flora and fauna, led to the creation of the “Project to Support Integrated and Participatory Water Management in the Titicaca- Desaguadero-Poopó-Salar de Coipasa (TDPS) Water System” of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 4 UNEP’s Bulletin - Latin America and the Caribbean GEO Titicaca The activities that were conducted by far the problems in the area and proposes exceeded initial expectations. The most concrete remediation measures. significant actions were focused on GEO Titicaca stresses the inalienable improving water quality in the basin responsibility of the three million through the creation of a monitoring inhabitants of the basin to preserve the network with more than two hundred local environment, which was home to a Activities conducted points, identifying polluting sources, responsibility that has already been improving the efficiency of wastewater shouldered by the Wankarani, Chiripa, by far exceed initial treatment plants and modernizing the Uru, Tiwanaku, Pukara, Aymara and Inca basin's thirteen laboratories, etc. expectations cultures, among others. With the decisive The tools this project leaves in the hands effort of all, the environment herethis of decision makers include the Ticicaca unique place will be enjoyed by