Where man and the nature are one entity

BiosphereReserves - Peru,

PERÚ

REPÚBLICA DEL PERÚ

Did you know? each BiosphereReserve hasbeen developedto fulil threefunctions:

-Conservation of the biodiversity and the cultural

diversity.

-Economic and social-cultural development.

-Logistics support research, education and

scientific training efforts within the local

community, technical specialists and

researchers.

Now, there are 621 biosphere reserve sites in 117 countries. In Latin America and the Caribbean houses 117 reserves across 21 countries.

Peru is a privileged country: due to its ecological and cultural richness it is home to four important Biosphere Reserves recognized by UNESCO, that seek to secure and preserve the existing balanced relationship between man and the natural environment. These four Biosphere Reserves built on the foundations of Peru’s Natural Protected Areas – Huascarán, Manu, Noroeste and Oxapampa-Asháninka-Yanesha – represent a forwards step through the formation of thematic networks and associations to promo-te sustainable development, exchange knowledge, conduct research and monitoring, promote environmental education, and participative decision-making.

Peru’s Biosphere Reserves represent terrestrial ecosystems and/or maritime coasts of international renown through UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Pro-gram.

Each is composed of three management zones: nucleus, for the conserva-tion, monitoring and investigation; buffer for the sustainable activities; and transition, for the sustainable activities with the local people. These zones are over the base of Natural Protected Areas, rural development precincts, and training and logistics areas. Their principle objective is to INSPIRE THE HARMONIOUS INTEGRATION OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES WITH NATURE, with the end goal of promoting sustainable development through participative dialogue, knowledge exchange, poverty reduction and improvements in well-being, while respecting cultural values and the capacity of the community to adapt to change.

Naturalbalance

Huascarán Biosphere Reserve, an alpineeden

Greenhouse gases are a serious threat for the glaciers

of Huascarán, including the famous Pastoruri glacier.

The “Climate Change Path” promoted by SERNANP

reveals how dramatically climate change will affect the

Cordillera Blanca, though instead of bemoaning this

fate, SERNANP has formed alliances with the local go-

vernment and community, using the changes evident in

Huascarán to promote awareness of climate change and

stimulate preventative action.

Important fact:

Between stunning snow-capped peaks and dream-like lagoons nestles the spectacular Huascarán National Park, the only Protected Natural Area safeguarding the highest tropical mountain range in the world, the Cor-dillera Blanca (meaning ‘White Range’). Its beauty, exceptional qualities and significance to the local community earned the Park its Biosphere Reserve status in 1977, and World Heritage Sites in 1985 by UNESCO.

The Huascarán Biosphere Reserve, more than conserving an important number of species of flora (including the spectacular Puya raimondii and endemic orchids) and fauna such as the taruca (Hippocamelus antisen-sis), colocolo (Leopardus colocolo), vicuña (Vicugna vicugna), culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus), vizcacha (Lagidium peruanum) and Andean Con-dor (Vultur gryphus), as well as artefacts from cultures past and present, provides that most important element for human survival: water.

Utilization today and alwaysMan has lived in and made use of the natural resources of Huascarán for 10 000 years, and human passage has shaped the landscape in the form of terraces, corrals and irrigation systems, the remains of which can be appreciated in the Reserve today.

The main human activities currently taking place in the Biosphere Reser-ve, to the direct benefit of local communities, span tourism, research, environmental education, native species reforestation, and control and

vigilance activities. Additionally, organisations have been established to support the sustainable use of natural pastures for controlled grazing.

Land organisation remains one of the great challenges for the Biosphere Reserve: developing opportunities that allow the economic and social

development of local communities while protecting their ancestral tra-ditions. Progress in this area is fulfilling one of the principle objectives of the Reserve.

Manu Biosphere Reserve, extreme diversity

A true biodiversity paradise, this Reserve spans the icy plateaus of the high Andes to the dense jungles of the Peruvian Amazon. Manu Na-tional Park, Peru’s best-known Protected Natural Area, stretches over more than 1 716 000 hectares with its abundance of vegetation and wildlife maintaining coexistence with communities still practising their traditional cultures, forms the nucleus of the Reserve. It was declared a Biosphere Reserve in 1977 in recognition of these rich natural and cultural values, and World Heritage Sites in 1987 by UNESCO.

Manu’s vast biodiversity is remarkable at an international level, with estimates that the National Park may house more than 500 000 spe-cies: a feast of life! Understandably, Manu National Park is considered one of the most important eco-regions in Peru and is quite possibly the National Park with the highest biological diversity on the planet.

Living CultureSocieties that have conserved their ancestral traditions live more har-moniously with nature, as evidenced by the Andean peasant collec-tives, indigenous communities and tribes in voluntary isolation who inhabit the Manu Biosphere Reserve today.

Given its strategic location between Cusco and Madre de Dios pro-vinces, Manu is home to a range of cultures and communities: the Andean zone is home to agricultural community; while the Amazon

Did you know?The tropical forests of Manu are among those least touched by human activities,and yet the Park alsopossesses an enormous cultural richness.

zone is inhabited by native indigenous groups like the Matsiguenka, the Mashko-Piro, the Yora, the Harakmbut, the Wachipaeri and the Yine, who still live in nomadic clan groups dependent on subsistence activi-ties such as cassava cultivation, hunting, and fishing.

Utilising biodiversityThe residents of Manu Biosphere Reserve co-exist with the environ-ment by maintaining small, low-density communities and working with nature to make sustainable use of the available resources.

Tourism activities contribute significantly to the local economy is ba-sed in part on tourism activities, with Manu one of the most accessible Protected Natural Areas in the Peruvian Amazon. Given its enormous potential as a tourist destination, Peru has invested in services and infrastructure that support visitor access and the resulting influx of tourists has allowed the development of related industries, such as the sale of local crafts and artisanal products and the promotion of local cuisine, which complement the nature experience.

Scientific research is another supported activity within the Manu Biosphere Reserve, which houses Cocha Cashu biological station; one of the world’s best-known tropical research centres which is potentially unique in its loca-tion within an area of minimal human intervention, allowing the study of the biodiversity and ecological processes of primary Amazonian forests.

Thanks to Cocha Cashu, Manu is recognised as one of the best places to conduct scientific research; achieving a key priority to strengthen the management of the Protected Natural Area.

The indigenous tribes living in voluntary isolation are

recognised as one of the conservation values protec-

ted by the Manu Biosphere Reserve. These nomadic

groups move through the Reserve following seasonal

patterns of wild food availability. Protecting their terri-

tories and respecting their lifestyle is vital to ensure the

survival of these peoples and their cultures.

Important fact:

Noroeste Biosphere Reserve, progress in a uniqueforestThis Biosphere Reserve, which incorporates two Natural Protec-ted Areas: Cerros de Amotape National Park and El Angolo Game Reserve, was established in 1977. In 2006 it was expanded to also envelop Tumbes National Reserve and the Regional Conser-vation Area Angostura Faical.

As the jewel of northern Peru, Noroeste (meaning ‘Northwest’) Biosphere Reserve protects a great variety of ecosystems and species. The principal ecosystem protected is the Equatorial Dry Forest: found only in Ecuador and northern Peru this one-of-a-kind ecosystem supports many endemic flora and fauna species.

At the heart of its nuclear zone lies Cerros de Amotape National Park, identified as a priority zone for research and conservation. The neighbouring El Anglo Game Reserve is renowned for its en-demic bird population and is considered a key site for the conser-vation of many of Peru’s threatened bird species.

Man and the forestIn the middle of the last century, the local inhabitants lacked fami-liarity with the services the forest provides (such as good-quality water, CO2 capture, and the potential for tourism), resulting in the uncontrolled exploitation of the forest through destructive activi-ties like logging and over-grazing.

Thanks to the creation of the Protected Natural Areas and the de-claration of the Noroeste Biosphere Reserve, today the commu-nity participates in projects that promote conservation alongside human progress and scientific investigation; projects focused on the sustainable economic development of the local populace, as well as research into the mitigation of climate change impacts and programs that connect social issues with conservation ac-tivities.

La presencia de un humedal lleno de vida dentro de la ciudad de Lima, es un tesoro que hay que cuidar.

Did you know? Cerros de Amo-tape National Park is the protec-

ted area with the highest number of threatened birds in the country, with more than 14 protected spe-cies including the Semiplumbeous

Hawk (Leucopternis semiplumbeus), Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus), and

- Amazonian Royal Flycatcher (Ony-chorhynchus coronatus).

Oxapampa-Ashaninka-Yanesha Biosphere Reserve, corridor of lifeEstablished in 2010, the youngest Biosphere Reserve in Peru covers an area of more than 1 800 000 hectares, of which 35% is made up by the Yanachaga Chemillén National Park (nucleus zones), the Yánesha and Sira Communal Reserves, and the Protected Forest of San Matías San Carlos.

This Biosphere Reserve is a critical point in Peru’s central jungle for conservation through the harmonious amalgamation of indigenous cultures, sustainable cropping and Protected Natural Areas. Aquatic environments connect the Reserve, the strong relationship between waterways and the forest providing habitats for a variety of wildlife, protecting unaltered forests and harbouring endemic species of value to all Peruvians.

In the nuclear zone, the Yanachaga Chemillén National Park protects the river catchments that provide land stability as well as securing the quantity and quality of water, supporting local settlements and agrarian development.

The forest provides a homeBeyond conserving the natural values, the Yánesha and Sira Com-munal Reserves guarantee the sustainable use of natural resources

Did you know? The local inhabi-tants of this Biosphere Reserve have designed the “Coffee Trail”, which as well as involving the production of organic coffee has opened up opportunities for com-plementary activities in tourism and other compatible industries.

for native communities; good neighbours of SERNANP working together with us as partners in conservation. These communities represent the Ashánika, Asheninka, Llaneza and Shipibo-Conibo ethnic groups, and their cooperative work has reduced external pressures intruding on the Protected Natural Areas as well as in the recognized territories of the indigenous groups themselves, se-curing their participation in conservation activities and promoting improved living conditions. The Communal Reserves are working in coordination with the management of Yanachaga Chemillén Na-tional Park and the Protected Forest of San Matías San Carlos to establish a bio-corridor of Natural Protected Areas within the Bios-phere Reserve.

Through programs like these, the 87 000-plus inhabitants of the Oxa-pampa-Asháninka-Yánesha Biosphere Reserve can rely on its envi-ronmental resources and services, securing their quality of life into the future. Research and monitoring activities, along with the development of sustainable projects in apiary and aquaculture, are bringing further opportunities to strengthen the local economy while conserving the environment.

SERNANPprepares for future challengesThe National Service for Natural Areas Protected by the State (SERNANP, for the abbrevia-tion in Spanish) is the department of technical specialization assigned responsibility by the Ministry of the Environment for the management of all Peru’s Protected Natural Areas under state administration. SERNANP is responsible for coordinating the sustainable develop-ment of Peru’s Biosphere Reserves, being focal point of MaB Peru Committee, working with local authorities and community leaders to achieve balanced management.

To carry out this important work, SERNANPs Regional Managers and Park Rangers under-take a wide range of work activities, from on-ground patrols and monitoring to the promo-tion of sustainable development and environmental education, to help to conserve these ecological treasures.

As part of this role, SERNANP is confronting the challenge of mitigating the many and va-ried threats that pose risks to these remarkable ecosystems, especially under the context of a changing climate. Among the mitigation activities underway are: the strengthening of rela-tionships with local communities; the provision of technical advice for conservation and for the environmental management of projects orientated towards sustainable development; the recruitment of local volunteer park rangers; ecosystem restoration and remediation ac-tivities using natural infrastructure; and other actions based on the principle of participative management involving local partnerships.

Our nature. Our Development.

PhotosWust Ediciones, Archivo SERNANP

SERNANPPERÚ

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