Venezuela strengthens scientific agenda for environmental protection

Published at: 24/09/2025 02:44 PM

The Bolivarian Government maintains a line of action focused on environmental protection as a response to the effects of climate change, said Helga Handt, a researcher at the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC).

During his participation in the “5 Minutes of Science” program, Handt explained that Venezuela adheres to the Antarctic Treaty and the Madrid Protocol, carrying out studies of environmental biochemistry and geochemistry in the Fildes Peninsula.

“We analyze lichens and mosses as indicators of pollution, to identify compounds carried by air or sea,” he said.

The expert emphasized that Antarctica is home to the largest freshwater reserve on the planet, making it a strategic point of interest.

“This makes it possible to identify natural elements and others modified by processes such as contamination or the decomposition of aquatic plant matter,” he explained.

These initiatives are part of environmental geochemistry, a discipline that studies the distribution of chemical elements and their relationship with the environment.