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This paper assesses the agricultural sustainability of the peasant community of Huapra, located in the Andes of Peru; this is a type of high land farming communities. The analysis has been made by applying the methodology framework for the evaluation of management systems of natural resources incorporating sustainability indicators (MESMIS). It has also been measured different performance indicators for the three dimensions considered. Among different results it has been found that Huapra community is based on a self-sufficient or peasant economy, mainly due to the low educational level of the inhabitants. On the other hand, it also has been found a high level of productive diversification. These results are similar to the results of other peasant communities like a study conducted in the peasant community of San José de Cusmapa - Nicaragua. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the strategic planning method linked to the territory's sustainable development as it is currently being proposed by various organisms involved in public policies in Peru. It is aimed to discuss the methodology in terms of its validity as a new theoretical paradigm. Its ultimate goal is to bring about a new comprehension of the strategic planning process within the present competitive framework -among districts, provinces, regions, etc.- featured by factors such as human resources assessment, expressive technological investments and emphasis on inter-connectivity, among others. The paper starts by revising the strategic planning model genesis within the public initiative sector and its relationship with the attraction of private investments at local scale. The percourse which links one point to the other goes through both the perspective of economists and administrators and the vision of prominent planners. It ends up by showing the possibilities of a new prospect in the strategic planning of development at local scale, as well as existing doubts regarding the model: firstly, if we lack adequate information in reference to the objective capacities of our closest competitors, we will hardly be able to elaborate competitive strategies favorable to us in a specific environment; secondly, we consider that, in the current context of our country, the goals in the territory development process must be guidelined by employment and income generation for local population and this, without doubt, relies on systematic planning of investment attraction; and finally, we accept that strategic planning may constitute a tool that will enable to consolidate the decentralization and territorial integration processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abandonment of indigenous and traditional ways of relating to the landscape and making use of the environment are historically tied, since the epoch of conquest, to the imposition of development models that respond to foreign demands. Social scientists have variously integrated the concept of development as an analytical tool, with differing foci and applications, despite a broader and persistent tendency to relate the idea chiefly to economic growth and eschew social progress. This paper critically addresses the theoretical implications of an ecological approach to the recovery of indigenous technologies in the Andean area, on the basis of experiences in bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. Its objective is to learn from past mistakes and recast the recovery of indigenous technologies as an effective strategy to articulate viable alternatives for local communities in the fields of agriculture, herding and agroforestry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to identify key indicators related to the health of families in their homes and surroundings, and so, to understand the importance of inform Peruvian people about the Healthy Housing Initiative promoted by Pan American Health Organization. We have focused on health factors related to housing in different regions of Peru, taking into account the local ways of life, prioritizing the analysis on lower-income socio-economic groups within the cities, and considering that healthy housing is an important component within environmental health. The material presented is resultant of interviews with professionals with experience in the health and housing field, as well as comparing bibliographic information and news with our subjective perception of reality, aiming to reach conclusions and recommendations. Given the status of housing conditions in Peru and their impact on the health of the population, it becomes necessary to encourage the formation of a national network that may bring together various public and private institutions that have been working from different approaches in promoting the improvement of housing and environmental conditions in Peru, in order to complement their capabilities and support each other in their activities. Finally, we believe that healthy housing is a right and an obligation for people, in tune with the right for health and life and it is also a shared responsibility between local governments and the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]