Global IssuesQ&A: 'Sustainability Is Paramount for Latin American Development'
Although the financial, climate, energy and food crises continue to create new challenges, Colombian biologist Margarita Astrálaga believes that now could be the time for Latin America 'to advance towards a more equitable and sustainable development.'
In April, Astrálaga became the new regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
An expert in environmental management and regional development, she worked for the Colombian government and then for UNEP's oceans and coastal programme, based in Nairobi.
She also has worked with the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and served as director of the Mediterranean cooperation centre for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
With that background, environmental groups received the news of her designation with high hopes. From her new office in the Panamanian capital, Astrálaga answered Tierramérica's questions.
Q: What are the regional UNEP's priority areas for action in the next few years? A: We will concentrate efforts on climate change, disasters and conflicts, ecosystem management, environmental governance, toxic substances and resource efficiency.
UNEP strengthened its presence in the region with the Ecosystem Regeneration Initiative in Haiti, the implementation of the 'United in Action' project in Uruguay and with a new office in Brazil to develop a cooperation agenda.
Q: What are the difficulties in Latin America in terms of sustainable development? A: Inequality is one. The region has the biggest gap between rich and poor. There are also the trade barriers of the industrialised countries, inadequate technology transfer, and weak institutional structures that limit the implementation of sustainable development policies.
We face many challenges that could divert Latin American countries from environmental achievements. The financial, climate, energy and food crises create new challenges, though they also represent an opportunity to advance towards a more equitable and sustainable development.
The predominant productive activities in our region are intensive in natural resource use and are affected by the degradation of ecosystems. Development depends on meeting needs based on the ecosystems. That is why we believe that sustainability is paramount for the region's development.
Q: What does UNEP Latin America have planned for the 2010 International Year of Biological Diversity? A: Latin America is the region with greatest biological diversity on the planet and has many of the most mega-diverse countries.
It has nearly half of the world's tropical forests, 33 percent of the mammals, 35 percent of reptiles, 41 percent of birds and 50 percent of amphibians. We have very high levels of endemism. For example, 50 percent of the plant life in the Caribbean is unique to that area.
UNEP is going to promote its work programme, facilitate regional dialogue and South-South actions of cooperation. We are carrying out a series of workshops on conservation tools, national biodiversity and the relation between ecotourism and indigenous communities.
We are also participating in the regional 'Biodiversity and Ecosystems' initiative, which is preparing a report for decision-makers in order to provide reliable data and convincing arguments about the urgency for investing in conserving biodiversity and its sustainable management.
This initiative is aligned with the goals of the global study led by UNEP, 'The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity,' which calls attention to the economic and social benefits of biodiversity on a global scale.
Q: What expectations do you have for the 10th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 10), to take place Oct. 18-29 in the Japanese city of Nagoya? A: The governments will be there negotiating a new strategic plan for the next decades in terms of biodiversity, access to genetic resources and fair and equitable participation in its benefits, which is why it is essential to have active participation from the whole region.
It's clear that a new vision is needed to stop the dramatic loss of biodiversity, which is very high in Latin America.
As such, it's important to recognise the links between the means of subsistence and biodiversity, and to see the important role that the latter plays in confronting the challenges to sustainability, such as climate change, water shortages, and the demand for farm products.
Q: Do you believe the regional UNEP should have a bigger budget and more global influence, given Latin America's vast natural resources? A: UNEP is a global agency with just one work programme that is implemented at the global, regional and national levels.
The plan calls for strengthening the regional offices, and there has been progress in that. However, it's true that there is a long way to go to fully achieve that goal.
As for financing, it is true that the funds for our office are very limited in relation to the region's challenges and needs, but that is also the case at the global level, so it is important that the international community ensure there are enough resources for the actions it has entrusted to UNEP.
Q: Some argue that the regional UNEP office leans heavily towards Mexico and Central America, and not so much towards South America... A: UNEP has been working in all countries of the region. All have benefitted in one way or another from its programmes.
It's true that, depending on the issues, more work is done with some than with others, but that is directly related to the financial and human resources available, the priorities and challenges of the countries, their size, types of ecosystems, vulnerability and biodiversity.
Q: At the end of November, Mexico will host the 16the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 16). With that location, will Latin America have a more prominent participation in the climate change agenda? A: For the region, the issue of climate change is very relevant, especially due to our vulnerability to its impacts, which are already affecting millions of people.
The Mexican government invited the region to play a fundamental role in the summit and the region's environment ministers agreed that COP 16 is a great opportunity. We are sure that will be the case.
(*This story was originally published by Latin American newspapers that are part of the Tierramérica network. Tierramérica is a specialised news service produced by IPS with the backing of the United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme and the World Bank.)
© Inter Press Service (2010) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service