When one visits the website of the Peruvian branch of the World Monuments Fund (WMF), it quickly becomes clear that this organization does not take its work lightly. Among the observations found there: “Peru is considered one of the six cradles of civilization. Its vast array of cultural heritage demands a tremendous effort for its preservation for future generations.” Juan Pablo de la Puente, WMF Peru’s executive director, looms large in that effort. A specialist in cultural-heritage law and Peru’s vice minister of cultural heritage and cultural Industries in 2015 and 2016, he acknowledges that the country’s vast archeological resources face multiple threats. The most important of these, he says, are people who see cultural resources as obstacles standing in the way of economic development. Another, he adds, is climate change, which is driving heavier rains, accelerating coastal erosion and other forces that wreak havoc on resources ranging from millennia-old ruins to ancient burial sites. (See Centerpiece—this issue.) De la Puente discussed the challenge in a recent interview online with EcoAméricas correspondent Noah Moeys.
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