By Hillary Ojeda
Peru This Week
Lake Titicaca faces multiple threats to its pristine environment 3,800 meters above sea level. Pollution and contamination threaten its wildlife, plants and quality of living for the local people.
The local authorities are taking steps to preserve what they can.
Lake Titicaca National Reserve in Puno swore in more than 50 community park rangers as volunteer defenders of the historical and beautiful, high altitude lake, reports Andina news agency.
Peru’s National Service of Natural Protected Areas (Sernanp) organized the ceremony which put the rangers in charge of the natural protected site’s preservation.
“The job is not easy,” Rafael Malco, community park ranger representative, told Andina.
“We must ‘take our accomplishments to the field and lake’ to assume responsibly new roles and challenges comprised in this relevant task to be carried out at the National Reserve of Titicaca […],” he added.
The ceremony took place on June 28, and was held in the framework of the committee’s monthly assembly. It was attended by members of the 16 Reserve Conservation Committees, directors, Association of Conservationist Original Peoples.
And it was presided over by a representative of the Prosecutor’s Office Specialized on Environmental Matters; provincial attorney, Oscar Jimenez; regional governor, Rene Calsin; and the head of Titicaca National Reserve, Victor Apaza.
Sernnanp informed they will be holding another swearing-in ceremony for the next group in August.
Lake Titicaca sits on the border with Bolivia in southern Peru.
