Peru's national transport system has been subjected to intense difficulties over its lifespan. Five key problems affecting the system are geographical factors, weather and natural disasters, terrorism, inadequate maintenance and poor construction. The current government is now attempting to address these challenges and has recently introduced plans for large-scale development operations which it is hoped will better support the social and economic aims of all Peruvians, particularly those in rural areas.
Peru's geographical proximity to the ecological treasures of the Andes mountains and the Amazon has complicated the development of a viable system of overland transportation during the last few decades. Much debate and numerous power struggles surround every attempt to implement development strategies, due to local and international concerns to preserve the Amazon's fragile ecosystem. Ultimately, any decision making must take seriously Peru's responsibility to the environment, as Mayer writes,
The conclusion is that in order to achieve a more satisfactory relationship between society and environment, provisions should be made for changes brought about by human activities, thus minimizing potential conflicts. This is the underlying premise of the OAS's long-term commitment to balanced and sustainable development in the Hemisphere. "Amazonia cannot be conquered as the American West was. We need to learn how to live in harmony with Amazonia," remarked Cordeiro (Mayer).
In past decades, soil erosion from the illegal logging and overgrazing permitted in the costa (coastal) and sierra (central Andes) regions resulted in desertification of agricultural lands. Now, Peru's administration is responding positively to the crisis, although only to further their practical transportation aims, rather than for ethical reasons.
To compound these enviro-political problems, the severe effects of the El Nino weather system have destroyed a g...