Interoceanic Highway to Critically Damage Andes-Amazon in Peru

[Judi Lynn]

26 July, 2007 < 15:00 >

Interoceanic Highway to Critically Damage Andes-Amazon in Peru

Highway Up

Written by Renata Leite Pitman



The path of the Interoceanic Highway crossing the Andes-Amazon wilderness, which has the highest concentration of Protected Areas in the tropics

© Heinz Plenge
The Interoceanic Highway is currently under construction in South America. It is predicted to result in unprecedented destruction of the Amazon – the largest tropical forest in the world.

In southern Peru the highway will slice through the Andes-Amazon region, critical habitat of the highly threatened Andean Bear, as well as jaguars, giant otters, and more than 1,200 other species of mammals and birds.

Once the highway is complete, the wilderness these species inhabit today will be forever cut in two, separated by a growing corridor of deforestation along the highway.

Elevating critical portions of the Interoceanic Highway, turning it into a toll pay scenic road, will help the conservation of the Andes-Amazon region and at the same time will catalyze the long-term economic stability of local people through ecotourism.

More, and petition:
http://www.livinginperu.com/news-4352-environmentnature-interoceanic-highway-critically-damage-andes-amazon-peru