Peru : an assessment of biological diversity

After an introductory section, Chapter II of this report assesses Peru"s capacity to preserve this wealth, describing the country"s major conservation threats, its protected areas system, and the economic aspects of biodiversity (including nature tourism, the consumption and sale of wild plants and animals, and investments in germplasm banks and in natural forest management). Chapter III examines the impact of developmment activities on the country"s natural resources. Since development of the selva areas has been a governmental priority, these projects (highway construction, timber extraction, petroleum exploration, and planned and spontaneous colonization) are emphasized. Deforestation, which has often resulted from the selva projects, is attributed primarily to: structural factors (i.e., poverty, skewed land distribution, low agricultural productivity, and lack of viable economic alternatives), fluctuating government commitments, an emphasis on short-term agricultural gains, and lack of institutional sustainability and capability. Chapters IV and V discuss endangered and economically important plant and animal species in Peru and address major constraints to preservation of biodiversity. Chapter VI reviews the institutional context for environmental management and details a proposed reorganization and decentralization of the Ministry of Agriculture. Recommendations, presented in Chapter VIII, focus on establishing a conservation policy and education programs, integrating conservation issues into development activities, conducting research, and training and institution building activities. Includes 6-page bibliography.