The first edition of the event will take place on November 26th. +Amazon Festival, A space filled with art, music, and entrepreneurial ventures, this event aims to raise awareness about the conservation of our Protected Natural Areas (PNAs) and explore ways to contribute to their preservation. Starting at noon, the event will take place at the Manuel Bonilla Stadium in Miraflores and will feature informational sessions about the challenges facing PNAs and how to collaborate in their conservation.
“All citizens benefit from what protected natural areas provide, we just don't realize it. It's very likely that the fish in your favorite ceviche, or the water used by hydroelectric plants to provide electricity at home, comes from these areas. That's why it's so important to come to the festival, to learn about them and, above all, to learn how to protect them,” said Cindy Vergel, Manager of the Natural Heritage Initiative of Peru, at Sernanp.
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The +Amazonía Festival will feature more than 25 businesses from different regions that collaborate in the conservation and protection of protected natural areas. They will offer food products such as cacao, coffee, and honey; products like dragon's blood and blueberry shampoo, non-medicinal soaps made with aguaje fruit; and handicrafts and textiles.
There will also be live concerts by established bands such as Los Mirlos and well-known bands like El Sucumbión, Elegante y la Imperial and DJ del Bosque.
«We are very excited about this festival because it represents an opportunity to share relevant information about protected natural areas in an accessible, engaging, and educational way. We want new generations to know that they have a source of pride and a responsibility. The country's biodiversity is unique and, therefore, requires a constant and active commitment. That is the message we want to convey,” said Claudia Godfrey, Director of Innovation and Strategic Management at Profonanpe.
The +Amazon Festival was organized by the Ministry of the Environment, Sernanp, Profonanpe, the environmental fund of Peru and the Municipality of Miraflores; with the participation of WWF, Yunkawasi, Conservamos por Naturaleza (SPDA), Conservation International, UNDP, USAID, among others, and with the financing of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
Why is it important to protect and conserve our protected natural areas?
Protected Natural Areas are living spaces that harbor a wide variety of plant and animal species, as well as natural resources. Their responsible use contributes to economic development and the creation of employment opportunities, providing dignified work and food security for vulnerable populations, without compromising their autonomy over their ancestral territories. This model fosters leadership, co-management, economic growth, innovation, and autonomy in the country's rural communities.
Peru has 76 Protected Natural Areas (PNAs) encompassing more than 29 million hectares of green space, equivalent to 18% of the entire national territory. Their conservation relies on integrated management that promotes coordinated participation between the government, the private sector, and citizens to address threats such as forest fires and deforestation.
Between 2019 and 2020, severe damage was reported from the 11,000 fires that occurred in these areas of the country, and during 2021, the loss of Amazonian forests reached 137,976 hectares. Furthermore, approximately 90% of deforestation is caused by the burning and/or clearing of forests to create small farms and expand unsustainable agricultural activities for both domestic and international markets.
In this sense, it is urgent to financially support the protection of protected natural areas, which will strengthen their presence and care at the national level, and, in turn, considerably boost local economies throughout the country.
So far in 2022, the responsible use of resources in protected natural areas has generated over 7 million soles in income, benefiting more than 1,800 families nationwide. This has been made possible through 227 contracts and agreements for the use of resources such as coffee, cacao, honey, and Amazonian fruits, among others.
About Sernanp
Sernanp is the governing body of the National System of Natural Protected Areas. Its purpose is to conserve Peru's vast biodiversity and to bring protected natural areas closer to the population, enabling all Peruvians to responsibly utilize the resources they provide, thus contributing to the sustainable development of the national economy.
About Us
Profonanpe has established itself as the most important environmental fund in Peru. Since its founding, it has been characterized as an institution specializing in creating, developing, and implementing innovative processes in technical, administrative, and fund management, and in coordinating with all public and private stakeholders working to conserve biodiversity and mitigate and adapt to climate change.
