The National Service of Natural Protected Areas (SERNANP), together with the Ministry of Environment and Profonanpe, awarded 25 projects and 8 priority research projects that contribute to the conservation of biodiversity in Natural Protected Areas (ANP) at the national level.
The head of Sernanp, José Carlos Nieto, gave the opening remarks, thanking the various national and public entities for making the competition possible and congratulating the winners: «"We have said that natural heritage must also be an opportunity for the development of our country. What is the key to being able to take advantage of our resources in Protected Natural Areas (PNAs)? Sustainability. Every resource that we use in the PNAs is done under management plans. We determine the quantity we have and what the quota is that can be extracted, and together we ensure that this resource is perpetuated over time.".
The awarding of research grants in the Illescas National Reserve aims to generate relevant information for the effective management and sustainable use of natural resources in regions such as Lima, Junín, Lambayeque, Piura, and Ica. Additionally, the "Entrepreneurs for Nature Illescas National Reserve" program also recognized four businesses related to waste bioconversion, tourism development, and handicrafts.
Aldo Aguirre, Head of the Illescas National Reserve, outlined the impact of this recognition, highlighting that “Decision-making in protected natural areas must be based on information, and that is what we are aiming for; the trend is for management to be increasingly based on indicators that are the results of research work.”
For his part, Anton Willems, CEO of Profonanpe, mentioned the importance of working together with Sernanp, which makes it possible to work with local populations and conserve protected natural areas, and the work of the women who lead several of the winning initiatives. “Today we can see that this tool we have developed together has concrete and direct effects on the population, and it is something that can be replicated in different territories. A very important aspect of the «Entrepreneurs by Nature» guidelines is that we want, together, for women to have clearer leadership; no less than 30% of the winning projects must be women-led ventures. The conservation of life comes precisely through this collaborative work.”. Profonanpe, Peru's private environmental fund, works with Sernanp to manage the financing, as well as monitor progress and impact in the field.
Among the award-winning ventures are initiatives focused on waste bioconversion, strengthening sustainable tourism, and developing productive infrastructure related to resources such as honey, cacao, medicinal plants, and trout, among others. It is worth noting that 10 of the winning ventures are led by women.
Finally, Albina Ruiz, Minister of the Environment, thanked each of the members present who made it possible to obtain and manage the funds for the awards, and especially the work that has been done together with local communities for the sustainable use of resources and the opportunity to do ecotourism. “We can only conserve if we do it hand in hand with you, and because we have male and female park rangers, specialist managers who are truly top-notch, and also this year, we are putting out a historic budget for next year.”
At the same event, the "Cordillera Azul Entrepreneurs" competition was launched. This initiative, promoted by the Ministry of the Environment in conjunction with the Center for Conservation, Research, and Management of Natural Areas (CIMA), aims to foster and strengthen entrepreneurial ventures among native communities located in the buffer zone of Cordillera Azul National Park. These ventures will focus on the sustainable use of natural resources associated with the park, generating local economic development and contributing to its conservation.
