The proposal for the Munyamarca Cloud Forests Regional Conservation Area is entering the third phase of the establishment process. The goal will be to strengthen dialogue and consolidate agreements with local stakeholders and indigenous peoples regarding the zoning of this future protected area. This process will be part of the path toward establishing a new Regional Conservation Area (ACR) that recognizes the rights, uses, and activities of those who inhabit the territory, while safeguarding water sources, biodiversity, and the traditional territories of Mayunmarca, Ayacucho.
The National Service for State-Protected Natural Areas (Sernanp) gave the go-ahead for the proposal for the Mayunmarca Cloud Forests Regional Conservation Area (ACR) to move on to the third stage of the establishment process. After reviewing the technical dossier and the progress made by the Ayacucho Regional Government, accompanied by Yunkawasi, the initiative took another step toward protecting one of Ayacucho's most biodiverse landscapes.
With more than 45,000 hectares of cloud forests, high-Andean grasslands, and watershed headwaters, the proposed area aims to conserve one of the region’s most important landscapes for water and biodiversity. Located in the province of La Mar, in the districts of Anco, Chungui, and Oronccoy, it will be the first regional protected area to conserve a representative sample of the Peruvian Yungas ecoregion in this department.
Technical staff from the Ayacucho Regional Government and Yunkawasi wrapping up their technical assistance work with Sernanp of the Ministry of the Environment. © Gerson Ferrer | Yunkawasi
As part of the requirements for completing the second stage, the Ayacucho Regional Government carried out, in coordination with the Ministry of Culture, the Report on the Identification of Indigenous and Native Peoples (IIPIO). This process made it possible to identify communities belonging to the Quechua and Matsigenka peoples, eight of which overlap with or utilize land within the scope of the proposed ACR. Based on this information, it will be possible to continue the dialogue with the communities, recognize their ways of using the territory, and establish clear agreements, promoting a conservation model that manages the territory and respects the activities that sustain local life.
The progress of the Mayunmarca Cloud Forests ACR proposal reflects a joint effort led by the Regional Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Management of the Ayacucho Regional Government, accompanied by Yunkawasi and the support of Andes Amazon Fund, the Bird Conservation Initiative. This initiative is carried out through the project “Participatory Conservation of the Tropical Andes in the Department of Ayacucho,” which promotes living spaces where biodiversity, water, and communities are protected collectively.
Conserva Aves is an alliance between American Bird Conservancy (ABC), National Audubon Society, BirdLife International, Birds Canada and the Latin American and Caribbean Environmental Funds Network (RedLAC). In Peru it is implemented by Profonanpe in conjunction with Andean Ecosystems Association (ECOAN). It also has the financial backing of the Government of Canada, through Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
