Academic Carmen Luz de la Maza shares some of the challenges and pending tasks that the country has in view of World Environment Day, which is commemorated every June 5. Biodiversity and ecosystems: fundamental pillars for the sustainable development of the country.
“Chile faces a triple planetary crisis that intertwines climate change, loss of biodiversity and environmental pollution“, is the first reflection of the academic at the Faculty of Forest Sciences and Nature Conservation of the University of Chile, Carmen Luz de la Maza. Also a university senator, she offers a perspective on these problems and the pending tasks for the country in terms of care and protection of the environment.
Chile is one of the countries with the greatest biodiversity in the world, with a vast variety of ecosystems ranging from deserts to native forests and southern regions with large glaciers. This diversity is crucial not only for ecological balance, but also for the country’s economy and culture. Healthy ecosystems provide essential ecosystem services such as water purification, crop pollination, and natural disaster mitigation.
According to Prof. Carmen Luz de la Maza, the challenges in terms of decontamination, biodiversity protection and waste disposal are interconnected and require integrated and coordinated actions to be effectively addressed. Thus, one of the most pressing problems, adds the specialist, is air pollution. “While it is true that progress has been made in recent decades, it can be seen that in the Metropolitan Region and in several regional capitals it is enough that it does not rain in a couple of days to declare an alert or environmental emergency,” says the academic.
Waste disposal is another significant challenge. De la Maza points out that “the disposal of domestic and industrial waste, such as construction waste, has not been addressed in depth.” Many cities must transfer their waste to other areas, and the lack of adequate landfills gives rise to micro-dumps, which are sources of environmental pollution.
Despite efforts to prevent the loss of biodiversity, such as the promulgation of law 21,600 on the creation of the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service (SBAP), there is still much to do. De la Maza mentions that many protected areas are considered “paper areas” due to the lack of sufficient resources for efficient management.
Finally, the efficient use of water resources and land use management are areas that require attention. Examples of poor practices include the parcelling of agricultural land and the drainage of wetlands, which negatively affect ecosystems and biodiversity.
Despite these challenges, there are multiple opportunities to improve the environmental situation in Chile. Thus, the university senator mentions that investing in clean technologies, strengthening environmental legislation, and promoting education and ecological awareness are fundamental steps to ensure a sustainable future.
Chile has a clear path towards improving its environment. Through collaboration between institutions. As Carmen Luz de la Maza highlights, “there is a lack of a long-term perspective and commitment that is holistic and comprehensive to develop public policies and planning with a vision of the State, in which all sectors: public, private, academia together, can formulate proposals that allow us to address the needs of inhabitants who live in both urban and rural areas with a global (non-sectoral) perspective, in such a way as to move towards consensual solutions. To do this, however, most of the time, more than large budgets, good will is needed.”
