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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, July 6th 2025 - 09:10 UTC

Environment

  • Saturday, April 15th 2017 - 08:10 UTC

    Chile expands Patagonia national parks with Tompkins Foundation donation

    The Tompkins Foundation of one million acres will help form a network of 17 national parks along Patagonia that spans most of Chile.

    Chile set aside 11 million acres of land for national parks aided by the largest private land donation from a private entity to a country. The conservation effort of the Tompkins Foundation helped pave the way for Chile to greatly expand its conservation of the pristine Patagonia wilderness.

  • Tuesday, April 11th 2017 - 06:14 UTC

    Falkland Islanders asked on proposals to recommend Marine Management Areas

    A pair of Black-Browed Albatross: 56% of the Falklands breeding Black-Browed Albatross population (approx. 44% of world population) live on Jason Islands

    Falkland Islanders are being asked to comment on proposals to recommend three Marine Management Areas (MMAs) to the Falkland Islands Government (FIG). These areas include some of the Falklands most pristine and vulnerable marine environments such as around Beauchêne Island and the Jason Islands archipelago, and include globally important populations of the Black-Browed Albatross and the Rockhopper penguin.

  • Tuesday, April 11th 2017 - 05:30 UTC

    Chinese company buys 50% share of the Veladero mine in Argentina

    Barrick's CEO John Thornton and Shandong chairman Chen Yumin during the ceremony that closed the deal (Pic by Barrick Gold Corporation)

    Barrick Gold and Shandong Gold, a Chinese company, have signed a strategic co-operation agreement that includes half the Veladero gold mine in Argentina. Shandong has agreed to purchase 50% of the Veladero mine in Argentina for US$960 million, and a joint venture will be created to operate it.

  • Tuesday, April 4th 2017 - 09:50 UTC

    Torrential rains and mudslides destroy “80% of Comodoro Rivadavia”

    Mud and water covers cars and floods shops in downtown Comodoro Rivadavia

    Comodoro Rivadavia, in Argentine Patagonia, also known as the “Oil capital” of the country is estimated to have experienced an “80% destruction” of the city, according to a first report from an Army engineers' battalion sent to set up bridges and repair highways. The city suffered a week of historic torrential rains (330mm) and strong winds with flooding, mudslides which swept away with bridges and tracts of roads and major highways.

  • Monday, April 3rd 2017 - 10:16 UTC

    Mudslide in Colombian sweeps away half a city: 254 dead, hundreds missing

    Heavy rains caused several rivers to overflow, pushing sediment and rocks onto buildings and roads in the capital of southwestern Putumayo province

    Flooding and mudslides in the Colombian city of Mocoa sent torrents of water and debris crashing onto houses in the early hours of Saturday morning, killing 254 people, a quarter of them children, injuring hundreds and sending terrified residents, some in their pajamas, scrambling to evacuate.

  • Saturday, March 25th 2017 - 09:21 UTC

    Icebreaker Almirante Irizar ready to begin sea trials after a decade in repairs

    Malcorra and Martinez before boarding for a tour of the recovered icebreaker Almirante Irizar

    Argentine foreign and defense ministers Susana Malcorra and Julio Martínez toured on Friday the recently repaired and refurbished Navy's icebreaker and Antarctica flagship, Almirante Irizar which a decade ago almost became a wreck after she caught fire on return from the annual Antarctic mission.

  • Friday, March 24th 2017 - 11:22 UTC

    Falklands/Honduras to share experiences in marine coastal resources management

    Ambassador Carolyn Davidson said that Dr Brickle’s visit set a milestone and is an example on how bridges of collaboration can be built across Latin America.

    Honduras and UK South Atlantic British Overseas Territories, mainly Falkland Islands are to share scientific experiences and develop potential projects that could enhance the Central American country's management of its marine coastal resources. With this purpose the Director of the South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute (SAERI), Dr Paul Brickle, visited Roatán and Tegucigalpa last week.

  • Thursday, March 23rd 2017 - 11:25 UTC

    “Nothing can grow without water,” warns UNICEF, as 600 million children could face extreme shortages

    “Water is elemental; without it, nothing can grow. But around the world, millions of children lack access to safe water” said Executive Director Anthony Lake.

    Some 600 million children – or 1 in 4 children worldwide – will be living in areas with extremely limited water resources by 2040, according to a UNICEF report released on World Water Day, 22 March.

  • Friday, March 17th 2017 - 06:39 UTC

    Torrential rains and mudslides ravage Peru: thousands left homeless

    Evangelina Chamorro emerged near a bridge, lifting herself from a current of wooden planks and walking toward the shore covered head to toe in mud.

    Muddy water spilled onto streets and into homes on Thursday in a new round of unusually heavy rains that has killed at least a eighteen people in Peru and now threatens flooding in the capital Lima. The intense rains and mudslides over the past three days have wrought havoc around the Andean nation and caught residents in Lima, a desert city of 10 million where it almost never rains, by surprise.

  • Tuesday, March 14th 2017 - 21:34 UTC

    Death of swimming pigs of Big Major Cay shocks Bahamas

    Running wild on the uninhabited island, swimming out to meet boatloads of tourists the friendly porkers enjoyed a porcine paradise on their island in the sun.

    For many years the swimming pigs of Big Major Cay, also known as Pig Beach, in the Bahamas Exuma island chain, have been a major tourist attraction. Running wild on the uninhabited island, swimming out to meet boatloads of tourists and happily gobbling down the food and snacks they brought, the friendly porkers enjoyed a porcine paradise on their island in the sun.