Problems
Lima is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac, and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of the country, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaside city of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima Metropolitan Area. With a population of more than 9.7 million in its urban area and more than 11 million in its metropolitan area, Lima is one of the largest cities in the Americas.
Causes of air pollution in Lima
By the early 2000s, Peru faced serious environmental problems. Air pollution in urban areas was so severe that it caused thousands of premature deaths every year. In fact, air quality in Lima was worse than in other large Latin American cities, such as Mexico City or Sao Paulo. Other environmental challenges that damaged people’s health included air pollution inside homes caused by the use of wood for cooking; insufficient access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene; and exposure to lead, a highly toxic chemical. Together, these environmental problems caused 12 million cases of illnesses annually, dramatically affecting young children, the elderly, and poor people who couldn’t afford medical care. One of the main reasons the Peruvian government wasn’t able to respond promptly to these serious environmental problems was the country didn’t have governmental organizations with clear responsibility for environmental protection. Another important reason was the absence of a system of reliable environmental information to support the government’s decision-making process. Outdoor air quality in Lima-Callao seems to have improved and the population exposed to harmful air pollution levels fell by 15% between 2001-2003 and 2010-2012. Similarly, the risks from inadequate access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene have declined over time.
Gallery
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Timelines
2022
In order to make vehicle drivers and neighbors aware of the effects of noise and air pollution in the city, this year the Municipality of Lima will continue to carry out its Stop the Honk and Breathe Clean campaigns. Specialists from the Lima community will measure the level of sound pressure generated by the intensity of improper use of the horn. Actions will have the support of the district municipalities and the National Police of Peru. Likewise, the gaseous emissions of the vehicle fleet will be evaluated and the level of environmental contamination will be identified; educational ballots will also be delivered to drivers. These actions will continue to be carried out at least three times a month on roads with high vehicular traffic in the capital. They seek to promote the responsible use of horns, reduce the noise generated by them and educate about the importance of carrying out vehicle technical reviews on time.
2020
October 20
With the support of the SNAP initiative, Peru developed the SLCP Emissions Reduction Roadmap, which identifies seven priority mitigation measures for the main sources of black carbon. Full implementation of the priorities included in the roadmap will reduce black carbon emissions at the national level by 17% compared to the business-as-usual scenario. Other pollutants will also be significantly reduced, including PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides, further increasing the benefits to air quality and human health.
2015
January 31
The budget for environmental protection increased to 71 million US dollars.
2014
May 08
According to a recent study by the World Health Organization, Peru's majestic capital Lima has the worst air pollution of any city in Latin America. The WHO report, which analyzes 1,600 cities in 91 countries, found that only 12 percent of the world's urban population breathes clean air. The study looked at the level of fine particles known as PM 2.5, which are found in the air and are harmful to human health. Health experts measure air quality by classifying air as clean if it contains less than 10 micrograms of fine particles per square meter. If there are more of them, then the air is considered polluted and harmful to health. In Lima, a city of nine million located between the Andes to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, the average microgram level is 38 micrograms, according to the WHO. Despite the fact that used vehicles can no longer be imported and the current city government has managed to remove many old public transport vehicles from the roads, there has been a sharp increase in the number of private vehicles, creating heavy traffic jams not only in industrial and densely populated areas, but also the whole city
2009
April 29
A Peruvian-invented device known as the "Supertree" recently debuted in Lima, a city that suffers from extremely polluted air. The Supertree acts like 1,200 real trees, cleaning the air for about 20,000 people a day, at a cost of only about $6. The company Tierra Nuestra (Our Earth) is behind the Super Tree and hopes to start exporting the technology. The company's goal is to promote conservation through the development of new technologies and renewable energy sources. So how does it work? The supertree sucks in outside air, then combines toxic elements in the air with water under thermodynamic pressure, and then pumps out clean air. The by-products of the process are mud and non-potable water, which can easily be pumped into sewage systems. The supertree (super arbol in Spanish) cleans about 200,000 cubic meters of air per day, removing pollutants such as carbon dioxide as well as microbes and bacteria. The Supertree is a great application of the technology, as the World Health Organization says the average air pollution level in Lima is 9 times higher than what is considered acceptable for healthy living. Lima even recently required traffic police officers to wear gas masks. Used cars are estimated to cause 86% of Lima's air pollution, and the average age of a car is around 18 years. Mayor Surquillo has pledged to plant at least 20 Supertrees, and Tierra Nuestra hopes to plant 400 trees throughout Lima over the next four years, so there will be room for better education and promotion efforts around the trees themselves. Nevertheless, the Super Tree is a fantastic innovation that will undoubtedly improve the quality of life for the residents of Lima and other cities suffering from air pollution.
2006
December 27
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights received a petition from the Inter-American Environmental Defense Association (AIDA). Center for Human and Environmental Rights (CEDHA) and Earthjustice on behalf of a group of individuals, regarding violations by the Republic of Peru of the rights enshrined in the American Convention on Human Rights. The petitioners alleged that environmental pollution in La Oroya caused by the metallurgical complex operating there had caused a series of violations of the rights of the alleged victims. , related to the actions and inaction of the state, in particular, non-compliance with environmental and sanitary standards and the lack of supervision and inspection of the company that manages the complex. As to admissibility, they argued that their domestic remedies had been exhausted by an enforcement petition decided in their favor but still pending. For its part, the state indicated that despite the contamination at La Oroya, effective measures were taken to mitigate it and control it at Doe Run.