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| Argentine Secretariat of Environment and Sustainable Development | |
|---|---|
| Agency name | Secretariat of Environment and Sustainable Development |
| Native name | Secretaría de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sustentable |
| Formed | 1991 |
| Preceding1 | Secretariat of Natural Resources and Human Environment |
| Jurisdiction | Argentina |
| Headquarters | Buenos Aires |
| Minister1 name | (see list) |
| Parent agency | Presidency of Argentina |
Argentine Secretariat of Environment and Sustainable Development is the national agency responsible for environmental policy, conservation, pollution control and sustainable development in Argentina. It has played a central role in coordinating responses to issues such as deforestation in Gran Chaco, pollution in the Río de la Plata, biodiversity protection in the Iguazú National Park area and climate policy aligned with the Paris Agreement. The secretariat interacts with provincial bodies like the Buenos Aires Province administration, national ministries such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and international organisations including the United Nations Environment Programme.
The institution traces origins to environmental management units formed during the presidency of Carlos Menem and was formally created amid administrative reforms under President Raúl Alfonsín and later reorganised in the 1990s. Key milestones include the enactment of the Ley General del Ambiente process, engagement after environmental disasters like the Prestige oil spill response models and shifts under administrations of Néstor Kirchner, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Mauricio Macri and Alberto Fernández. The secretariat's profile rose with Argentina's ratification of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and participation in the Kyoto Protocol mechanisms, while domestic controversies involved land-use conflicts in the Gran Chaco and urban air quality debates in Buenos Aires.
The secretariat is organised into directorates and units reporting to a secretary appointed by the President of Argentina. Typical internal divisions include directorates for biodiversity, climate, environmental quality, monitoring and enforcement, and legal affairs. It cooperates with federal agencies like the National Gendarmerie for enforcement, engages scientific input from institutions such as the National Scientific and Technical Research Council and coordinates with provincial agencies in Santa Cruz Province, Misiones Province and Mendoza Province. Advisory bodies include representatives from civil society groups such as Greenpeace, Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina, indigenous organisations from Formosa Province, and academic partners like the University of Buenos Aires.
Mandated to design and implement policies on conservation, pollution control, environmental impact assessment and sustainable use of natural resources, the secretariat issues regulations, oversees environmental impact statements linked to projects like hydroelectric dams on the Paraná River and mining in San Juan Province, and administers protected areas legislation affecting sites such as Los Glaciares National Park. It enforces compliance with norms derived from laws promulgated by the National Congress of Argentina, collaborates with the Supreme Court of Argentina on environmental litigation, and supports municipal authorities in Rosario and Córdoba, Argentina on urban sustainability initiatives.
Programs have ranged from reforestation initiatives in the Yungas to urban air pollution plans in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires and coastal management in Mar del Plata. It has implemented biodiversity conservation projects in partnership with the Global Environment Facility and multilateral lenders like the Inter-American Development Bank, led climate mitigation strategies consistent with Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement, and launched campaigns addressing plastic pollution inspired by global efforts such as the United Nations Clean Seas campaign. Collaborative programs involved the IADB financing for river basin management in the Salado River, and technical cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization on agroforestry in Misiones Province.
The secretariat administers instruments established by statutes and decrees, interacting with frameworks like the Ley General del Ambiente (Law No. 25.675), national decrees on protected areas, and sectoral regulations affecting mining under provincial codes in Catamarca Province and forestry use in Chaco Province. It issues environmental impact assessment procedures referenced in project approvals for infrastructure linked to the Belgrano Cargas y Logística network and works within fiscal and administrative norms approved by the Argentine Senate. Judicial rulings by courts such as the Federal Chamber of Appeals have shaped the scope of administrative action and public interest litigation promoted by NGOs and citizen groups.
Engagements include participation in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, submission of emissions inventories to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, cooperation under the Convention on Biological Diversity and cross-border initiatives with neighbouring states such as Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay on shared basins like the Paraná River and conservation of transnational ecosystems including Iguazú Falls. The secretariat has signed technical cooperation agreements with entities such as the European Union, World Bank, United Nations Development Programme and regional bodies like the Mercosur environmental working groups.
Budget allocations are set within the national budget process approved by the National Congress of Argentina and administered through the Office of the Budget (Argentina). Funding sources combine appropriations, international loans and trust funds from multilateral institutions including the Global Environment Facility and bilateral partners like Germany and France. Administrative oversight involves audits by the General Audit Office of the Nation and periodic reviews by parliamentary committees such as the Comisión de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sustentable of the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina. The secretariat's operational capacity varies with political priorities established by successive administrations and fiscal constraints determined in national budget negotiations.
Category:Environment of Argentina Category:Government agencies of Argentina