Towards the Environmental Governance consolidation in Peru

Abstract

Environmental governance is understood more as a way than a goal, to ensure the environment conservation (1), it’s a key aspect to the environmental public policies development of the country; however, efforts to consolidate are still minimal in the various government levels authorities and, on the side of civil society in the decision-makers of various social organizations. United Nations’ international agreements prompted it since the beginning of their decisions and today is an important dimension in peruvian law, as expressed in the General Environmental Law, its article XI gives category as a principle.

On the issue significance and our responsibility to society as a university, we are committed to strengthening through incorporation as a prioritized research line, waiting for future increase socially relevant research contributions from the academic – scientific community, then spread the results of various studies to contribute in this way to improve the knowledge and environmental governance practice.

It’s clear that in environmental governance we have advanced very little, despite having strong regulations to the environment and empowers local and regional governments to promote it in search of greater efficiency. The Lima and Junin experiences largely express this reality.

According to the Green Cities Index in Latin America, study realized by Siemens, Lima environmental governance is located "below average" for Latin America level environmental governance. This location is mainly due to the fragmented allocation of resources and responsibilities for environmental management among multiple institutions and government levels. In 2006 the Lima municipality created a specializing environment department, however it isn’t competent to implement its own legislation in this regard. In the last five years Lima city has made a fundamental review of its waste sector, omitting water, sanitation and air quality, among other factors. Most policy initiatives arising from the Environment Ministry, where technical expertise is concentrated (2).

The Junin region consists of nine provinces. Huancayo city from the Junin Regional Environmental Commission (CAR Junin), the Management Committee of the Huaytapallana Regional Conservation Area (CGACR-H), Technical Group on Climate Change and other social organizations - with limited participation and involvement of other provinces representatives – develop environmental character actions with an undervalued impact on the region and appreciation for population. Huancayo has as management strengths green areas in urban areas, sensitization initiatives for solid waste segregation at source and permanent attempts to improve water coverage for human consumption; a real challenge for the future.

The Junín city has in operation the Municipal Environmental Commission (CAM). The Junin Provincial Municipality with the community support, have denounced mining companies which pollute Chinchaycocha lake waters, and they have already judicialized the issue, if they don’t have an early settlement from peruvian authorities these would be reported to the Human Rights Inter-American Court of the OAS also they would proceed to raise an injunction to suspend mining activities in Cerro de Pasco, especially El Brocal, Volcan and Panamerican Silver companies which are responsible for pollution of the Peru's second largest lake, with mine tailings affecting the lake ecosystem’s biodiversity without some remediation measure; to date it’s estimated that 30 % of the lake is polluted jeopardizing 150 endemic and migratory birds species. Chinchaycocha lake waters are also a water source of Mantaro river, which contributes to the electricity generation to 14 departments of the country. Among its strengths are the proper management of organic solid waste directing for compost production to use it in agriculture and soil conservation actions with sustainable farming purposes, a representative case is the Maca, a Junin export product.

The Concepción city has in operation the CAM Concepción which manages agricultural information to provide information on inputs costs, markets and statistics that allow farmers promptly decide on business opportunities; also it has farm machinery that serves producers. Among its strengths there is the proper solid non-organic waste management for economic purposes and through the Environmental Monitoring Committee the development of water quality monitoring (3).

It should be emphasized that in Peru there are policies and an environmental legal framework that reflects international commitments we made, these instruments are being consolidated from the Environment Ministry, with some shortcomings in its articulation with existing social organizations in the various regions; there are also conflict resolution mechanisms including the expertise knowledge promotion in the environmental causes determination, which however are not being properly applied in the national and local context. Peruvian environmental governance, moreover is pending the solution for many social-environmental problems of character, mostly linked to the mining sector.

The Huancayo, Junín and Concepción cities in all this panorama, until now, exhibited best performances in environmental governance, although in the improvement process. The main efforts are concentrated on topics such as treatment topics and water for human consumption accessibility, soil treatment and initiatives to achieve wastewater treatment in the future.