MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Sustainability: Uruguay the example to follow, World Bank says

Wellenstein also praised Uruguay for investing in monitoring systems

Anna Wellenstein, Director of the World Bank's Latin America and the Caribbean, Sustainable Development Group, has said Uruguay was an example of turning its productions towards a market that will seek environmental guidelines met.

The executive made those remarks during a virtual appearance which was printed by Asunción's Última Hora newspaper. She also insisted on the importance of economic, environmental and social factors being analyzed together.

Wellenstein has more than 20 years of experience in urban development and infrastructure. As regional director of the World Bank, she is responsible for agriculture, climate, disaster risk management, environment, land, social, urban and water issues.

“Paraguay must look at its needs in a comprehensive, resilient and inclusive way,” she was quoted as saying. She added policies against climate change must address economic, environmental and social factors because “climate change impacts more on vulnerable populations,” who are “more likely to live in places ... more exposed to the impacts of the weather.” She also explained the same criterion applied to both urban and rural settlements.

Wellenstein also pointed out that “another form of impact is illness and exposure to heat,” while those people “have less capacity and less resilience to change jobs.”

Regarding new challenges, “large producers will have the financial capacity, technology and knowledge to change their way of production, to opt for other types of seeds or other irrigation systems, but also to adapt to new markets and new demands because people are willing to pay more to producers who are not linked to deforestation,” while “the small producer often does not have the ... knowledge to change the form of production, nor do they have the financial resources to do so.”

Wellenstein also praised Uruguay for investing in monitoring systems to verify products stem from an environmentally-conscious manufacturer because markets are ready to pay more for those articles. In that regard, she also stressed the importance of governments helping people adopt the necessary changes.

Taxes and other measures will also say who stays in business and who fails. In addition to taxes, “in the case of Europe they are also contemplating regulations for products that are linked to deforestation,” she explained.

“The example in agriculture is Uruguay, but in terms of having a green economy there is Costa Rica in the region, they made the decision many years ago not only about the products they export but also implemented measures in its energy, transport and its forests to attract business to the country. For Paraguay there are the same opportunities,” she also said.

“The green, resilient and inclusive issues are not isolated, they are linked to each other,” said Wellenstein, as she suggested Paraguay prioritized those areas of investment.

(Source: Última Hora)