President Ollanta Humala gave a speech at the Rio +20 conference in Brazil, in which he commented on the “terrible mistakes” Peru had made in relation to the environment, and how he planned to amend them.

According to Peru21, the president said the country had allowed “intensive extraction” of natural resources, especially in the Amazon region, that caused serious damage to the ecosystem, and which has only recently begun to recover.

Humala added that the government was already working towards “integrating economic development with sustainable policies” that would ensure growth without continuing to impact the environment.

The president also said the government had already improved protection policies, and said 17 percent of the country’s territories were currently protected.

Humala said his goal was to achieve the “total incorporation of environmental concerns into all policies, and improve governance in this respect, updating regulatory frameworks and strengthening the institutional framework.”

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