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Policy Brief Engov 1_ English Version

2013_PolicyBrief1_EN_final

Environmental governance of extractive activities in Latin America and the Caribbean: the need to include local communities

While investments in extractive activities in Latin America and the Caribbean

(LAC) are booming, there are growing concerns about their social and

environmental consequences. Extractive activities, which include metal

mining, the extraction of fossil fuels, hydroelectricity and biomass, are

expanding and moving into more remote areas that are often inhabited by

indigenous and peasant communities. These activities have far-reaching

consequences. On the one hand, they generate economic development, jobs,

infrastructure and government revenues that partly pay for social programs.

On the other hand, they often bring damage to nature and local livelihoods,

require large volumes of energy and water, and produce large amounts of

waste. Many local communities claim that their needs and their concerns

about these negative effects of extractive activities are being neglected, and

resistance is mounting. Existing regulatory and institutional frameworks,

including consultation mechanisms, are unable to prevent and solve these

problems…