The main threats to Peru's amazing natural environment are:

• Unsustainable fishing
• Deforestation (also illegal logging)
• Overgrazing (cattle ranchers)
• Pollution of waterways (rivers and oceans) from municipal and mining wastes
• Poaching and illegal trade, particularly bird species (parrots)
• Oil exploration
• Desertification and soil erosion

Mining is important to Peru's economy and provides income for many. However, the lack of enforcement or the lack of adequate regulations has resulted in high levels of pollution. Tailing deposits and chemical use contaminate watersheds, often resulting in cyanide, or mercury pollution. Agencies have equipment available to safely dispose of the mercury used in gold extraction but getting people to use it is another matter.

Logging, agriculture, and coca production for the North American cocaine market are causing deforestation in the rainforests of Peru. Swaths of the Amazon basin have been cleared for export crops. Also, cattle ranching, which supplies meat to the North American fast food industry, has destroyed substantial portions of original forests, and often results in overgrazing.

Peru is trying to mitigate the problems, and there has been a recent growth in non-governmental environmental groups. This is evidence of increasing environmental awareness in Peru today.

Related Links

• CIA World Factbook
• Gossamer Wings