525
and others are merely seasonal. There are also several different ecological zones which are habitats
for typical fl ora and fauna. The constant evaluation
and monitoring done by the Yanavico Environmental
Institute has discovered that the ecosystem has been
blessed with a bewildering diversity of wildlife. To
date, 94 species of birds have been registered in the
wetlands, of which some are native birds and others
are migratory species from North to South America
and the Peruvian Andes. Some of them are faced
with danger of extinction, such as the fl amingo and
the inca tern. The study had not included the birds
which live out at sea.
Faced with the threat of damage to the ecosystem, Yanavico (a wetland lover), and a real estate
fi rm (Lorena SA) have started working on the
Puerto Viejo Environmental Management Program.
The venture aims to prevent man from altering the
rich biological diversity of the area. The idea was to
use the wetlands as a site for environmental education to provide urban dwellers with the chance to
make contact with their surrounding nature.
Further, the Puerto Viejo wetlands are part of a
chain of aquatic phenomena which crop up along
the Peruvian coastline and which today need environmental planning and extra knowledge. This task
needs to involve different sectors of society to be
able to conserve its wildlife and become potential
locomotives for local development.
23.7.7.3 Wetlands Near Trujillo Are
in Danger of Disappearing
Within a Decade
Wetlands are aquatic ecosystems which are home
to a rich biodiversity. On the outskirts of Trujillo
on Peru’s northern coast, six wetlands are in danger of disappearing within a decade. Representatives of environmental organisations have
formed a technical committee which will implement strategies to contribute to their conservation.
The names of the at-risk wetlands are Huanchaco,
Huanchaquito, Chan Chan, Moche River estuary,
Salaverry and Laredo. Mercedes Lopez, head of
Trujillo Environmental Management Service
(Segat), acknowledged that, for many years, these
ecosystems did not receive the importance that
they should have received. So, they are now in
danger. However, she pointed out that the plan is
not only to recover those areas but also to make
them places of study or leisure. Lopez also says
the main problems affecting the six wetlands are
the clearing of wetlands for construction, a lack of
circulation of accumulated water rendering them
contaminated pool, agricultural use of the wetlands and the build-up of sand over the water.
23.7.7.4 Preliminary Diagnosis
The engineer German Huerta Chombo said that
urban growth has been one of the factors that
have caused more damage to these ecosystems,
because of waste left behind around construction
projects in the vicinity of wetlands. Another factor that attempts against the wetlands is the accumulation of garbage, like in the wetlands of
Salaverry, where vultures proliferate. However, it
is not known exactly how many hectares of wetlands have been lost in the province of Trujillo. It
is also unclear whether we can change all the factors that have contributed to their deterioration.
The fi nal diagnosis of this serious situation is in
the hands of a technical committee recently
established, which must act soon. The adoption
of a municipal law that prevents the builders from
throwing their waste into the wetlands, nor elsewhere, affecting the environment, will be encouraged. Specialists from the National University of
Trujillo and the Universidad Cesar Vallejo conducted studies on the life and water of the ponds.
23.7.7.5 The Amazon
Extensive stretches of wetlands are found along
the course of many rivers well before they reach
the sea, especially in the tropics. The Amazon
(Plate 23.25 ) River in Brazil is one of the best
examples. It is one of the major rivers in the
world. Its fl ow is about one-sixth to one-fi fth of
all the freshwater in the world (Junk 1993 ). There
has been large scale deforestation due to developmental works in the Amazon basin. These have
been threatening many aquatic ecosystems in the
Amazon basin. These had also been having great
social ramifi cations for people displaced and
affected in various ways in the process. Some of
the fl oodplain forested wetlands of the Amazon
are estimated to cover c 300,000 km
2
. They are
usually fl ooded with fl ood levels reaching 5–15 m
23.7 Wetlands of South America
and others are merely seasonal. There are also several different ecological zones which are habitats
for typical fl ora and fauna. The constant evaluation
and monitoring done by the Yanavico Environmental
Institute has discovered that the ecosystem has been
blessed with a bewildering diversity of wildlife. To
date, 94 species of birds have been registered in the
wetlands, of which some are native birds and others
are migratory species from North to South America
and the Peruvian Andes. Some of them are faced
with danger of extinction, such as the fl amingo and
the inca tern. The study had not included the birds
which live out at sea.
Faced with the threat of damage to the ecosystem, Yanavico (a wetland lover), and a real estate
fi rm (Lorena SA) have started working on the
Puerto Viejo Environmental Management Program.
The venture aims to prevent man from altering the
rich biological diversity of the area. The idea was to
use the wetlands as a site for environmental education to provide urban dwellers with the chance to
make contact with their surrounding nature.
Further, the Puerto Viejo wetlands are part of a
chain of aquatic phenomena which crop up along
the Peruvian coastline and which today need environmental planning and extra knowledge. This task
needs to involve different sectors of society to be
able to conserve its wildlife and become potential
locomotives for local development.
23.7.7.3 Wetlands Near Trujillo Are
in Danger of Disappearing
Within a Decade
Wetlands are aquatic ecosystems which are home
to a rich biodiversity. On the outskirts of Trujillo
on Peru’s northern coast, six wetlands are in danger of disappearing within a decade. Representatives of environmental organisations have
formed a technical committee which will implement strategies to contribute to their conservation.
The names of the at-risk wetlands are Huanchaco,
Huanchaquito, Chan Chan, Moche River estuary,
Salaverry and Laredo. Mercedes Lopez, head of
Trujillo Environmental Management Service
(Segat), acknowledged that, for many years, these
ecosystems did not receive the importance that
they should have received. So, they are now in
danger. However, she pointed out that the plan is
not only to recover those areas but also to make
them places of study or leisure. Lopez also says
the main problems affecting the six wetlands are
the clearing of wetlands for construction, a lack of
circulation of accumulated water rendering them
contaminated pool, agricultural use of the wetlands and the build-up of sand over the water.
23.7.7.4 Preliminary Diagnosis
The engineer German Huerta Chombo said that
urban growth has been one of the factors that
have caused more damage to these ecosystems,
because of waste left behind around construction
projects in the vicinity of wetlands. Another factor that attempts against the wetlands is the accumulation of garbage, like in the wetlands of
Salaverry, where vultures proliferate. However, it
is not known exactly how many hectares of wetlands have been lost in the province of Trujillo. It
is also unclear whether we can change all the factors that have contributed to their deterioration.
The fi nal diagnosis of this serious situation is in
the hands of a technical committee recently
established, which must act soon. The adoption
of a municipal law that prevents the builders from
throwing their waste into the wetlands, nor elsewhere, affecting the environment, will be encouraged. Specialists from the National University of
Trujillo and the Universidad Cesar Vallejo conducted studies on the life and water of the ponds.
23.7.7.5 The Amazon
Extensive stretches of wetlands are found along
the course of many rivers well before they reach
the sea, especially in the tropics. The Amazon
(Plate 23.25 ) River in Brazil is one of the best
examples. It is one of the major rivers in the
world. Its fl ow is about one-sixth to one-fi fth of
all the freshwater in the world (Junk 1993 ). There
has been large scale deforestation due to developmental works in the Amazon basin. These have
been threatening many aquatic ecosystems in the
Amazon basin. These had also been having great
social ramifi cations for people displaced and
affected in various ways in the process. Some of
the fl oodplain forested wetlands of the Amazon
are estimated to cover c 300,000 km
2
. They are
usually fl ooded with fl ood levels reaching 5–15 m
23.7 Wetlands of South America