Although many times we hear about him environment And what we must do to care for it, it is also certain that on some occasion you must have asked yourself, what does this term encompass? What exactly is its meaning? And why should we be aware of its protection?
Starting from the fact that –as a saying goes– “what is not known is not cared for”, it is necessary to know that Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) defines the environment as the “Set of circumstances or conditions external to a living being that influence its development and activities”.
And, according to the “Glossary of terms of Peruvian environmental management” of the Ministry of the Environment (Minam), is he “Set of physical, chemical and biological elements, of natural or anthropogenic origin, that surround living beings and determine their conditions of existence”.
While in a broad sense, the Minam holds that “The concept of environment also includes the social environment in which human beings develop in particular”.
In short and in simple words, we are all part of the environment and in this space we combine both living beings and elements that do not have life, including those that have been created by man.
From the perspective of World Bank (WB)When the environment and natural resources are properly managed, they can become the basis for sustained and inclusive growth, which can end up being decisive for their contribution to poverty reduction.
According to the multilateral organization, it is in developing countries where forests, lakes, rivers and oceans become an important source of food, fuel and income for millions of householdsTherefore, their care and protection must involve everyone, without exception, including the poor who live in rural areas.
“Sustainable management of the environment and natural resources is crucial for economic growth and human well-being. When managed well, renewable natural resources, watersheds, and productive landscapes and seascapes can be the foundation for sustained and inclusive growth, food security and poverty reduction ”, they affirm.
Considering that according to UN Environment Program (UNEP) that a healthy environment is key to meeting many of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is prevailing “Accelerate the pace of work and truly transform our societies and economies with better solutions to pollution, climate change and loss of biodiversity”.
For this reason and with the aim of advancing towards the sustainable development of the country and improving the quality of life of Peruvians in a healthy and safe environment, towards the end of last year, the Minam designed the strategies that will ensure the process of updating the the National Environmental Policy (PNA) towards 2030.
The PNA not only aims to reduce air, water and soil pollution, it also seeks to improve the integral management of solid waste and reduce deforestation levels.
For this, the PNA establishes the lines of action in environmental matters that must be considered by the three levels of government (national, regional and local), by the private sector and by civil society, and defines how they will be addressed – jointly – problems related to the environment.
