| Establishing a Regional Program for Biodiversity
Conservation in Loreto
| NCI has joined with governments
and local stakeholders on a regional conservation system |
NCI has developed an ambitious Program for Conservation,
Management, and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity in the Region
of Loreto (PROCREL) to help conserve the extraordinary biodiversity
of Loreto, Peru’s largest department with 92 million acres
of Amazon forest, many of which remain untouched. Loreto also contains
sections of Andean ecosystems in its western extremes and part of
the biologically diverse Cordillera del Condor in the northwest.
This assembly of habitats harbors a very high species diversity,
with many species found only in Loreto.
 The
first two areas were created in 2007 and include the Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo
Regional Conservation Area (RCA) created in March of 2007, and the
Ampiyacu-Apiyacu RCA created in December of 2007. Both conserve
over 1 million acres of Amazon rain forests with the support of
the local communities, the government and non-profit groups. In
December of 2008, the third and largest regional conservation area
– the Alto Nanay-Pintuyacu-Chambira RCA of 2.4 million acres
– was approved by the the Regional Counsel of Loreto, Peru
together with the President of Loreto, Yván Vásquez
Valera. This area will establish a conservation and sustainable
use regime for the three named river basins it protects, and will
allow the improved management of the area's natural resources for
the communities of these basins. Furthermore, this area protects
the potable water source for the city of Iquitos and adjoining areas
while also conserving Amazon rainforest with some of the highest
biological diversity in the world.
NCI carries out this program with the Regional
Government of Loreto, the Institute for Investigation of the Peruvian
 Amazon,
the Institute for the Common Good, the National University of the
Peruvain Amazon, and other local stakeholders. A key element of
the program is our promotion of a strategy of “production
conservation,” in which local populations are trained to manage
and conserve their natural resources. This approach is intended
to conserve biodiversity of the region as a resource for present
and future generations, while substantially improving the livelihood
of the local people. At the same time, we hope to strengthen other
related institutions in the region of Loreto, like indigenous and
communal organizations, and government agencies involved in renewable
natural resources management such as fisheries, timber, and water.
Over time, we hope to expand the PROCREL program,
creating a number of additional regional conservation areas. The
great success of the program has led other regional governments
in Peru to declare their intent to use PROCREL as a model for their
regions.
The Program is coordinated with a host of other
institutions working in Loreto on conservation matters, including
INRENA, PromPeru, PromPex, the Institut de Bien Comun, the Wildlife
Conservation Society, the Rainforest Conservation Fund, the Peruvian
Society for Environmental Law (SPDA), the Field Museum, AIDESEP-ORAI,
CEDIA, CEDISA, Greenlife, WWF, TNC, ProNaturaleza, and CANATURA.
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