Presentation Peruvian Amazonia

PERU & THE AMAZONIA

Flora, Fauna and Cultural Diversity

PERU & THE AMAZONIA

History and GeographyDemographic InformationEnvironment and BiodiversityChallenges

Climate Change, Deforestation, Poverty and Social Conflicts

Alternatives Public, Private, Civil Society and NGOs Initiatives

Still Some Work Ahead

Peruvian Amazonia Some History

February 1541: Francisco de Orellana, departed from Ecuador, to ‘El Dorado’.

February 1542: reached the mysterious and torrent Amazon River.

Named it after the Greek mythology.

Las Amazonas!

Peruvian Amazonia Some History

Century XIX: industrial revolution increased demand for rubber tree.

Prosperity for colonizers

Exploitation of indigenous people.

1979: Law of Native Communities and Agricultural Development in the Low Jungle.

Geographic Information

Location: South Eastern PeruMy City: Iquitos Founded 1828.Total Area: 756,866 Km2 -62% of Peru.Climate: Equatorial tropical Avg.28CEco-regions: Omagua 70 – 400 m. Rupa Rupa 400 – 1000 m.

I was born here!

Peru & The Amazon Basin

Amazon Basin 7.2 million km2.

Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana and Venezuela.

Brazil 67%, Peru 13 %. Around 80% of the Amazon basin.

Peru: 660,000 km2 forest.

Peru & The Amazon River

A fraternity belt: Amazon River

6,762 Km long. From Peru to the Atlantic Ocean in Brazil.

20% world sweet water supply. 56% world tropical rainforest.

More than 1000 tributaries.

Cultural, geographical, economical relevance for the Amazonia Region.

Demographic Information

Total Population : 3.7 million (INEI 2007) of total 29 million.

Indigenous Population: over 300 000 people. 53 ethnic groups and 13 linguistic families:

Arahuaca (38.6%), Jíbaro (24%), Quechua (10.9%), Pano (9.1%), Cahuapana (6.5%), Tupi Guarani (3.4%), Peba-Yagua (1.7%), Huitoto (0.8%), Harakmbut-Harakmbet (0.6%), Tucano (0.3%), Zaparo (0.3%), Tacana (0.2%), Sin clasificación (3.6%)

Most common languages: Spanish (official), Ashaninka and Aguaruna.

Amazonia PopulationIndigenous

Arahuaca ‘ The Artisan’ Huitoto ‘The Believer’ Jíbaro “The Head Reducer”

Harakmbut-Harakmbet Peba-Yagua

•Motto: Carpent Tua Poma Nepotes: Tus hijos cosecharan tus frutos (Your children will harvest your fruits)

Amazonia PopulationRivereños

‘Rivereños’, non indigenous people distributed along Amazon basin. Living of small range farming and fishing.

The Amazon Basin, geographical and cultural fraternity

Shared tribes: The Ticuna people, living in Brazil, Colombia and Peru.

Peru, Brazil and Colombia: yearly International Fraternity Festival

“We were born in a region called, Amazonas. We are a special community, wild like our rivers and generous like our soils. We learn to drink water from the trees y and to wait until nature provides its sweet fruits” Vermelho (Fafá de Belém)

Peruvian Amazonia: Environment & Biodiversity

Peru one of the most diverse countries in the planet. Identified 233 fruit species. 85 species located in

the Peruvian forest Tropical fruits: main source of nutrients and income

for the “rivereños” Entrepreneurs and NGOs contributing to

preservation and sustainable use of natural resources.

Peruvian Amazonia: Environment & Biodiversity

Identified more than 1,400 medicinal plants.

Uncaria TomentosaFortify the immune system

Jergon SachaTreatment for Diabetes

HuacapuranaFortify the bones

Pasaje Paquito (Paquito Street): the Amazonia’s pharmacy. Here you can literally find a medicine for every pain.Traditional knowledge, mystery and faith!

Peruvian Amazonia: Environment & Biodiversity

Vast hydrological resources. A conservative estimate: 2500 to 3000 species.

Paiche (Arapaima Gigas) The giant of the Amazon

Boquichico: Fishing in an fishing farm.

Climate Change

Andes: water source to the Amazon.

Floods in rainy season and extremely low river levels in dry seasons.

Tropical forest: oxygen production, retain the excess of CO2 and balance water flow to the atmosphere. 2010 dry season. Extremely

low rivers, local transportation and food supply severely affected!

Deforestation, Poverty and Social Conflicts

Government: Urgent need for improved controlling mechanisms.

Exploitation: petroleum, natural gas and illegal mining.

Logging, unsustainable farming and soil erosion .

Increased poverty in rural areas.

Deforestation, Poverty and Social Conflicts

Peru: among 15 countries with major problems of illegal logging.

Social conflicts: 48% about environment, extraction, and deforestation.

234 reported conflicts, 113 are socio environmental.

Deforestation, Poverty and Social Conflicts

Deforestation: a constant, uncontrolled problem in the Peruvian Amazonia. Alarming: Around 60% of the local economy relies on extractive activities

Deforestation, Poverty and Social Conflicts

Inside view, hospital in rural area (Iquitos-Nauta Highway).Poor infrastructure and sanitary conditions.

Deforestation, Poverty and Social Conflicts

Bagua conflict 2009: Against oil and lumber exploitation.

40 indigenous and 12 police men death.

Agreement 169 ILO: Government must consult indigenous people over land and resources.

Who is right? Who is wrong? Wake up call!: create

alternative mechanism for development! Stop looking for responsibles, and start working on solutions!

Alternatives for Economic Growth

Peruvian Amazonia:12000 species of plants, between 1 and 5 million species of fauna and abundant genetic resources.

Economic potential: ecotourism, eco-farming, private conservation projects, research pharmaceutical products, green markets and many more…

Promote: development, entrepreneurship and socially inclusive business.

While respecting traditional livelihoods, knowledge and environment.

We need to be cautious but also ambitious. For sure deadweight and inaction are not an option!

Private Conservation Projects & Eco tourism

Community Based Ventures Forest Law 2000: Promote

investment and provide legal security.

promote economic development, preserve biological diversity, and local cultural values.

Currently: 25 areas of private conservation. This enables to protect 131,866 Ha.

Civil society and private sector working together!

Bio business & Green Markets

Bio Business Investment and the efficient use of biological resources. Principles: Biodiversity conservation, community

involvement and equity distribution. Can help to build capacity, knowledge and infrastructure. Potential for development at local, national,

international level!

Bio Business Reaching International Markets

Organic Cacao Peru has become the second largest exporter of

organic cacao in the world, after Dominican Republic. Major markets: United States, Belgium, France,

Switzerland and The Netherlands. ADEX: 20% increase in exports by July 2010.

Bio Business Reaching International Markets

Camu Camu (Mriciarea Dubia) Amazonia fruit. It has high levels of vitamin C, and it

is 30 times more acid than the orange. Good for juices, nectars, ice creams and marmalade. Major exports are to Japan, and the United States .

Bio Business Reaching International Markets

Palmito or palm heart It’s a local product, used for salads. It has been successfully introduced in the

French market. ADEX: Sales of approximately 828,000 US

Dollars by August 2010.

Public and Private InitiativesNGOs in Action

Handcraft Products Exposed in San Diego Museum (United States) Mi Esperanza (Mi Hope) Promotes participation and social inclusion. Joint initiative of the government institution PROCREL with the NGO WLC Peru (Wild Life Conservation).

Government, NGOs and civil society working together!

NGOs contributing to the Education

Reported: 17% of boys and girls are not even enrolled in schools, resulting on alarming rates of analphabetism.Dutch NGO Manguare, working on re introducing street children in to the schools, through diverse programs of education, day care and voluntarism.

Promote education in the region…

Civil society in action to go from children in the streets to children in the

schools!

Empower Local farmers and entrepreneurs like..

Don Lucho & Irapay palm cooperative

So, he and his community can meet the local demand for Irapay palm.

Empower Local farmers and entrepreneurs like..

Don Beder & family

So, he can improve the local milk production business.

Empower Local communities like..

Nuevo San Martin in Iquitos Nauta highway

So, they can improve their living conditions, they can have more productive farmlands and secure more education for their children

WE MUST ENCOURAGE

Political transparency Community

participation Respect for cultural

values and traditions Education & innovation Research and

understanding of natural resources

Entrepreneurship Social inclusion

It is clear that we have lots to do..

However…small steps DO count! And all of US can do something to

protect what is OURS. OUR PLANET, OUR RAINFOREST AND

OUR FUTURE.COMMUNICATE

SPREAD INFORMATION

VOLUNTEERRESEARCH

EDUCATEBE AWARE

DO NOT STOP BELIEVING

INVEST

SHAREEMPOWER ADVOCATE

PERUVIAN AMAZONIA

THANK YOU!

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