In Depth: Threats, Conservation, and Biodiversity Updates in Latin America

This week, we feature a feature on why the largest photovoltaic plant in Latin America, Located about 27 kilometers east of the city of Puerto Peñasco, in Sonora, Mexico, it threatens the landscape of biosphere reserves and an indigenous ancestral territory.

In addition, we have a report that reveals that World Bank and IDB loans to finance pig and chicken farms they ignored environmental complaints in Ecuador. Also, we tell you about the impact of mining in Madre de Dios, Peru.

Finally, we present two good news for the ecosystems and biodiversity of Chile and Colombia. These and other topics in Mongabay Latam.

Chile: after 12 years of waiting in Congress, the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service is created

A group of southern flamingos (Phoenicopterus chilensis) lines up in front of the lagoon. This species can be seen all year round in Ansenuza since it has its nesting areas there. Photo: Yanina Druetta.

After 12 years of processing, the The National Congress of Chile approved the Nature Law that creates the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service. It is the first public body dedicated exclusively to the care of the country’s protected areas and terrestrial and marine biodiversity. We spoke with experts about the main contributions of this law and the points that were pending. read more here

Ecuador: organizations denounce that World Bank and IDB loans to finance pig and chicken farms ignored environmental complaints

Pronaca has the largest pig production in Ecuador. Photo: Facebook Pronaca.

A new report reveals that, in 2021, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC, the World Bank’s lending arm for the private sector) granted multimillion-dollar loans to Finder, one of the largest companies in Ecuador. The company’s objective is to expand its pig and chicken farms in the province of Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas. Indigenous communities have spent years denouncing Pronaca’s environmental mismanagement in the area. read more here

Unesco declares the first biosphere reserve in the Colombian Pacific

Marine life in the Gulf of Tribugá. Photo: Taken from the trailer of the documentary Expedición Tribugá.

We start the day with good news for Colombia. UNESCO declared Tribugá-Cupica-Baudó, in the department of Chocó, as a new biosphere reserve. It is the sixth for the country and the first to be declared in the Colombian Pacific. The declaration proposal included the participation of public and private entities, academic institutions and Afro and indigenous Emberá communities. What ecosystems will it protect? read more here

Peru: Satellite monitoring shows that Madre de Dios lost more than 18,000 hectares of forest in two years due to gold mining

The Tres Islas native community lost more than 500 hectares of forests in the last two years due to illegal mining. Photo: FEMA Mother of God.

Mining does not give a truce to the Madre de Dios region, in Peru. A recent study by the Andean Amazon Monitoring Project (MAAP) reveals, through satellite images, that between 2021 and 2022 more than 18,000 hectares were deforested due to both legal and illegal gold mining. read more here

Can sargassum stop being a headache to become the protagonist of a new industry?

Have you heard of sargassum? Since 2011, the presence of this brown macroalgae is increasingly common in the Caribbean, especially on the beaches of Quintana Roo, in Mexico. Its impact on the tourism sector and on ecosystems generates alarm among experts, businessmen and environmental authorities. To deal with the negative impact of sargassum, Mexican businessmen propose using these macroalgae to produce biogas, biofertilizers, and other products. read more here

#InCorto: Three strategies to protect the Argentine Chaco from deforestation

chaco anteater — Electric eel (Electrophorus electricus) in the Orinoco River. Photo: Taken from the video of the interview.

In the depths of the Orinoco River, there are fascinating creatures that have adapted to their unique environment. Fish that generate electric fields or that are blind are just some of the inhabitants of this mysterious ecosystem. Mongabay Latam interviewed a researcher who studies these species to learn more about their characteristics and the challenges they face. read more here

detail photograph

What environmental challenges are being faced by the largest photovoltaic plant in Latin America in Sonora, Mexico, and how is it threatening biosphere reserves and indigenous ancestral territories?

This week, we highlight the environmental challenges faced by the largest photovoltaic plant in Latin America, located in Sonora, Mexico. This project threatens the landscape of biosphere reserves and an indigenous ancestral territory.

Another concerning report reveals that the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) provided loans to finance pig and chicken farms in Ecuador, ignoring environmental complaints. Indigenous communities have been protesting against Pronaca, one of the largest companies in Ecuador, for their environmental mismanagement in the area.

On a positive note, we bring you two good news stories about the ecosystems and biodiversity of Chile and Colombia. After 12 years, the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service has been created in Chile, dedicated to the care of the country’s protected areas and biodiversity. In Colombia, Tribugá-Cupica-Baudó in the department of Chocó has been declared a new biosphere reserve by UNESCO.

To learn more about these topics and more, visit Mongabay Latam.

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