Internationally, ‘Environment Day’ is celebrated on the 5th June every year. Interestingly, this is the day that the Argentine government chooses to announce the five most pressing issues threatening the environment in Argentina.
Climate change, deforestation, water, waste and conservation of protected areas are all severe issues threatening the country at this moment. Surprisingly, there have been many public initiatives and campaigns asking the government to address these problems but there has been little interest from the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires. Strategies were proposed but never adopted or implemented and there is still no concrete law protecting Argentina’s rapidly decreasing forests.
Despite the persistent problems with places such as the Riachuelo, no governmental action has been taken to stop the dumping of rubbish into the already heavily polluted river. Recycling initiatives started by local scientists and environmentalists are available, but rarely used. (Read the Argentina Independent’ article here)
“There have been some advances, but Argentina still doesn’t have an environmentally aware government,” stated Osvaldo Canziani, a meteorologist and former president of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change. The 2007 Nobel Prize for Peace winner says “We already know that climate change is having a negative impact, but in Argentina we still lack adequate systems to monitor the changes in rainfall and other indicators.”
Canziani claims that the government has ignored these issues and brushed off warnings of abnormal weather conditions. He warns that the country has not taken the necessary precautions to minimise the negative effects of climate change which could help avoid future deaths and other consequences.
The deforestation problem has been a constant gripe for the government. Environmentalists and ordinary citizens have protested and petitioned for a firm law. In spite of this, only 20% of Argentina’s original forests remain and money set aside to protect the area “disappeared”, according to Carlos Villalonga of Greenpeace, Argentina. (Read the Argentina Independent’ article here)
Another pressing problem is “the lack of access to drinkable water, the depreciation of the glaciers and the contamination of aqueducts, rivers and lakes”, according to Pablo Canziani, director of the programme for Atmospheric Studies at the Catholic University, Argentina. “The government should develop a better way of managing water for the future”. (Read the Argentina Independent’ article here)
Finally – the problems with waste disposal. Cecilia Allen of the Global Anti Incineration Alliance says “There is already a problem with regards to the overflowing landfill sites and yet the rubbish keeps on coming. There are so many ways to change the way we collect rubbish, in reality you can recycle 80% of waste.” (Read the Argentina Independent’ article here).
With the elections being held this month, such a pressing problem should be high on the manifestos for the hopeful candidates. Yet environmentalists are not happy at the lack of importance given to environmental problems, climate change and global warming.