The Manú Biosphere Reserve in south-eastern Peru is home to an estimated 500,000 species of fauna and flora. The tropical mountain forest is thus one of the world’s biodiversity hot spots. However, over the last decade increasingly large sections of the forest have been cut down by inhabitants making room for agricultural and pastoral land.
This is where the German Environment Ministry’s (BMU) project 'Forest conservation and management of natural resources in the Manú Biosphere Reserve' comes in. Under the motto "people and park" the project strives for closer cooperation between indigenous communities in lowland areas and national park authorities. The parties are to jointly elaborate strategies regarding the use of resources as well as a nature-friendly tourism concept. Training, e.g. in sustainable cultivation techniques, will help inhabitants in the region to use resources more ecologically. The project is implemented together with the Frankfurt Zoological Society (ZGF) and the Peruvian state agency responsible for protected areas. The main project goals are the substantial reduction of deforestation and a more sustainable use of natural resources.
The project was officially announced and presented in Peru’s capital Lima on 21 May. 2 million euro is being provided for the project from the German Environment Ministry’s International Climate Initiative (ICI). The project will not only support biodiversity conservation in the Peruvian rain forest, but through prevention of deforestation also contributes to protecting our climate.