This Friday, March 24, the MERESE agreement was signed, through which one and a half million soles will be allocated to carry out conservation actions for the ecosystems that generate water resources in the Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve (RNSAB), Located in the departments of Arequipa and Moquegua, the agreement was signed at the Voces por el Clima ecological park and brings together the work of Sernanp, Sedapar, and Profonanpe.
The MERESE agreement establishes a financial sustainability mechanism and guarantees the consistent use of economic resources over time. This is the second MERESE agreement signed in the reserve, and it is the first time that Profonanpe, Peru's environmental fund, will participate as the fund administrator, commissioned by Sernanp and Minam.
John Machaca Centy, head of the Salinas y Aguada Blanca National Reserve He expressed his gratitude for the participation of the various authorities and highlighted the importance of joint action and the search for strategic alliances to guarantee the financial sustainability of the area and to recognize the efforts of this work that has allowed the improvement of the living conditions of the population.
On behalf of Sedapar, the following person was present Carlos Alberto Monje Vera, General Manager of the institution, He emphasized that the funding for this initiative comes from Sedapar customers, who contribute through their water bills, and that with just 1.41% of their contributions, the project has been financed to the tune of one and a half million soles. In this way, the community can see that their contribution has a direct impact on the conservation of natural resources and sanitation.
The signing of the MERESE agreement for the conservation of the RNSAB is an important step towards strengthening effective management, governance and the territorial development approach. Anton Willems, CEO of Profonanpe, She highlighted the organization's role as administrator of the funds and made a call to action in the face of the current climate crisis: “"Regulations and public policy design based on scientific evidence become concrete actions to benefit people in vulnerable ecosystems that depend on resources such as water, as is the case in the city of Arequipa."”
José Carlos Nieto Navarrete, head of Sernanp, He expressed his gratitude for the one and a half million soles allocated by Sedapar for this year's work. He added that this design is the result of collaborative work between companies and local communities, and that the MERESE (Regional Ecosystem Services) not only support conservation and biodiversity but also contribute to ensuring the quality and quantity of water in the communities.
Finally, Environment Minister Albina Ruiz, He highlighted the collaboration between local, regional, and national authorities to achieve the goals of conservation and redistribution of resources to populations in protected natural areas: «"Sernanp has a long history of working with the community because it understands that the only way to move forward is by incorporating and working hand in hand with you, with the population within the protected areas, but also in the buffer zones. It is not possible to guarantee water in the cities if we do not work to protect and care for the headwaters of the watersheds."»
ABOUT THE AGREEMENT DESERVES
Payment Mechanisms for Ecosystem Services (MERESE) are tools to invest economic resources in the conservation, recovery and sustainable use of ecosystems that provide key services for the population.
Sernanp is empowered to establish MERESE with individuals and companies that utilize these ecosystem services, thus contributing to financial sustainability and the achievement of conservation and sustainable development objectives for protected natural areas.
