According to BBC; The project to build a new iernational airport in the mouain village of Chinchero, located near Peru‘s Sacred Valley, has sparked a wave of concerns and protests among archaeologists and environmeal activists. This airport, which is being built with the aim of facilitating the access of tourists to the ancie city of Machu Picchu (Machu Picchu) and reducing the pressure on the old airport of the city of Cusco (Cusco), according to critics, can cause an irreparable blow to the historical coext and the sensitive ecosystem of the region. They believe that the flying of gia airplanes over the Inca ruins and the resulting noise and environmeal pollution not only endangers the autheicity of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, but also threatens the water resources of local indigenous communities.
On the other hand, the Peruvian governme and supporters of the plan believe that the new airport will be the driving force of the region’s economy and will create thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the tourism industry. They argue that by increasing the passenger capacity, the foreign exchange income of the coury will grow drastically and the welfare infrastructure for the native people will be improved.
However, archaeologists warn that the “Sacred Valley” itself is a living museum, and any change to its natural landscape will destroy part of humanity’s historical ideity forever. As construction coinues, the battle between economic developme and preservation of ancie heritage in the Andean highlands has become one of the hottest cultural disputes of the year.
