Population, territory and sustainable development

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teenagers in poor areas. Here, sharing relevant policy experiences with agencies in other countries —better
yet, other Latin American countries (South-South cooperation)— can be very useful even though each
country or city will ultimately need to tailor interventions to its own circumstances.
Urban environment stewardship and protection policies will be high on the Latin American
agenda in the coming decades. Internationally, some of the rural areas of the region are taking a leading
role in global ecosystem balance. But in international forums the cities of Latin America are also
mentioned as glaring examples of environmental degradation. The evidence set out in the report and in
other recent studies substantially tempers this perception: initiatives deployed in recent years have curbed
environmental degradation in several cities in the region. The vast network of basic services affords some
degree of control over the management of water resources and waste disposal. In any event, there is no
question that the cities of the region need stricter environmental protection standards. Waste treatment
and recycling is a priority if cities are to be kept from becoming vectors of environmental damage as they
transfer waste to other ecosystems. Eco-efficiency should be a guiding principle for city growth and
renewal, and it should be promoted by laws and regulations and encouraged by mechanisms such as
subsidies, tax benefits and soft loans. But this is not enough. Ultimately, urban production and
consumption patterns determine much of the environmental impact of cities, so households and
individuals alike should build the idea of sustainability and environmental stewardship into their
behaviour. Advocacy, awareness and education are essential for this change in behaviour. Citizen
involvement is usually a good tool for monitoring, reporting, tracking and even punishing companies and
individuals doing environmental damage. Institutional frameworks play a key role, too, as a source of
standards and sanctions as well as incentives. Promoting environmentally responsible behaviour,
penalizing offenders and internalizing the cost of overconsumption is a powerful policy threesome for
fostering sustainable urban development in Latin America.