Inter-institutional initiative seeks to improve water quality of the Negro River
The Ministries of Environment, Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Industry presented the conclusions of the Río Negro Initiative project, a set of actions to generate knowledge about the dynamics of the basin, promote sustainable management of productive activities that take place around it, strengthen waste management and protect biodiversity.
The activity took place in the Executive Tower and was attended by the Secretary of the Presidency, Rodrigo Ferrés; the Undersecretary of Environment, Gerardo Amarilla, and his counterpart for Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, Juan Ignacio Buffa.
The Rio Negro Initiative is the first stage of the action plan to improve the quality of the waters in this basin. Its objective was to define a set of measures to prevent, stop and reverse deterioration, with an emphasis on sustainable development. Through a participatory process involving more than 120 technicians from the public and private sectors, civil society and academia, some 30 projects were defined, grouped around five strategic axes, explained Amarilla.
The official said that the initiative seeks to improve knowledge of the dynamics of the system, promote sustainable management of the production generated in its surroundings, strengthen the capacities of local institutions to manage waste and protect biodiversity.
“We need to understand these processes, study them, and have scientific data,” he said. In this way, we have information to design effective public policies that help improve the quality of the environment and life for those who live in this area. Amarilla also valued the continuity of this policy. The initiative originated in 2018, based on a decree from the Executive Branch. The first stage was implemented during this period and the following administrations must continue it, he added.
Buffa said that the project includes the legal framework that supports each of the actions implemented and that the body will allow for an evaluation and critical analysis of the current regulations.
