News stories by Inés Acosta* - Tierramérica

The government of the Uruguayan capital plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the solid waste produced by its 1.3 million inhabitants, through a project set to enter into operation in March. The carbon credits generated will be purchased by the World Bank.

Unregulated population growth along Uruguay's southern coast has hurt the Río de la Plata (River Plate) along an extensive stretch where the freshwater mixes with the Atlantic's salty seas, warn scientists.

Water-borne diseases and illness related to natural disasters are on the agenda for plans of officials and civil society to help the precarious settlements in the outskirts of the metropolitan area of Montevideo and in other Uruguayan cities.

More and more Uruguayans are keen on building ecological homes. The problem is that there is hardly any market or specialised labour for what is known as 'bio-building.'