Wednesday 23 May 2018

The greatest problem facing Colombia today is the destruction of the environment

By Laura Maria Zapata Burgos

The environment is the most important resource in Colombia and I believe that its devastation is the most serious threat to the country. Recently, pollution and extraction of resources have led to destruction. Illegal crops and illegal extraction of minerals are a big problem because they create contamination of water supplies. Natural areas have decreased consistently because pollution, illegal crops and illegal extraction of resources have all increased. The greatest damage that is being done to the environment is the destruction of natural resources and the contamination caused by the extraction of important minerals.

Firstly, Colombia is a country that depends on agriculture. In the year 2000, it accounted for roughly 19 percent of GDP, employing 30 percent of the population. This is a good reason to protect the environment. If we don’t protect the environment, it will be destroyed, along with the well-being and employment of Colombians. They depend on working the land to survive, feed and have a decent life.

Therefore, it is necessary to create employment in agriculture to supply the entire country and encourage people to return to rural areas. This is even more important now that we are going through a peace process that guarantees the security of the people to work in the countryside.

In addition, within precious ecosystems in Colombia, land is exploited or extracted by illegal mining companies or to grow illegal crops, which increases the damage or destruction of the environment. Illegal crops are sown, and when discovered these crops are burned by the government. This damages the soil for the next plantations. Furthermore, illegal crops affect the national economy because they are “enclave economies”, which is detrimental to the activation and proper functioning of the national financial and economic system.

Finally, Colombia has part of the Amazon Rainforest. The Amazon is considered the most important jungle in the world. This rainforest is one of the last large natural regions in the world that have still been largely unexplored and contains an immense diversity in flora and fauna. The Amazon not only provides us with water, plants and animals, but also absorbs carbon dioxide and provides us with oxygen.

In conclusion, I believe that the biggest problem in Colombia is environmental damage. I think Colombia should take care of its nature. If it does not, it will become economically depressed.

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