Loreto aims for a sustainable development and therefore a sustainable management of the natural and forest resources.

Aims to give the forests a greater value.

Wants to contribute to the land titling of 5 million hectares for the indigenous peoples communities.

Looks for allies and sources of funding to ensure the implementation of their planning tools, as well as the implementation of the related projects.

Valuable and VulnerableLoreto:

Loreto is a strategic region because it holds most of the forests, carbon stock and native communities in the country. Moreover, because it is prepared to receive funding.

The paradigmatic change from extractivism to a green economy has already began:

The Strategic Environmental Assessment of Loreto’s (EAE) Regional Participatory Development Plan (PDRC): The first EAE in Peru to be approved by the Ministry of the Environment.

o Regional Environmental Authority (ARA): New regional authority.

o Implementation of the Spatial Data Infrastructure (IDE).o Prioritization of forest management: new forest

concessions for public procurement.

TOWARD THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF LORETO

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1. Loreto’s Sustainability to 2021, Marc Dourojeanni. First edition. May 2003.2. Carnegie Airborne Observatory.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Loreto’s forestry asset amount to around 36 million hectares.

9 million hectares of forest are within Natural Protected Areas (ANP). Two million are Regional Conservation Areas (ACR).

In 2015, the public budget allocated for the conservation of each hectare of forest was S/ 0.28, a low amount compared to what was allocated for conservation in other departments with less forest cover (according to DAR’s research).

From 2001 to 2013 282,767 ha of Amazon rainforest were deforested in Loreto, and the trend is increasing.

Loreto hold 56% of the carbon stock in Peru consistent with its forest cover2.

The indigenous people represent 32% of Loreto´s population. To date, there are 647 titled communities, around 400 to title and 150 land-clearing requests. 55% of the titled communities are in Loreto.

Loreto aims for the megaprojects proposed by the National

Government to be implemented in a sustainable way, for this, Loreto has a set of environmental tools such as the EAE’s Socio-environmental Management Programs (PGSA) and the Environmental Impact Assessments to reduce the social and environmental impacts of these projects.

o Amazon waterway

o Transmission line from Moyobamba to Iquitos (around 600 km that passes through Amazon rainforest)

o Bellavista – Mazan – Salvador – El Estrecho highway

Some of the main economic activities are: agriculture, aquaculture, artisanal fishing, forestry and exploitation of hydrocarbons.

Loreto’s land connection with the rest of the country is limited (only through Yurimaguas), increasing investment costs.

Loreto is one of the regions with the highest poverty rate, and is second to last in

competitiveness.

Loreto wants its regional economic development to be done in a sustainable manner, considering that it holds the most amazon rainforests and the highest biodiversity in the country.

There has been a significant income decrease from the royalties receive for the hydrocarbon extraction, as well as an income decrease for the families that rely on this activity. For these reasons, Loreto has a more pressing need to explore new development paradigms, not based on extractivism, but in sustainable productive activities. Loreto is convinces that the protection and the sustainable use of its forests as well as the ecosystem services can achieve a green economy that contributes to the regional development and well-being.

JUSTIFICATION

Peru has the second largest extension of Amazon forest. Loreto is the largest department in the country and is located in the Peruvian Amazon, which makes it also the department with the most forest cover, and, for now, the least deforested in regard to its total forest cover1.

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Photo: Pablo Puertas

Photo: Pablo Puertas

Photo: Pablo Puertas

Photo: Liliana García / DAR

Plan the use of the territory according to its potential. This will enhance the implementation of sustainable tourism projects and sustainable supply chains.

Strengthen the environmental governance through: (i) the improvement of the public servants’ capabilities (especially of those in charge of managing natural resources); (ii) the implementation of the decentralized forestry offices to better implement the Forestry and Wildlife Law and its regulations; (iii) strengthen participatory public management; (iv) implementation of the Regional Data Infrastructure (IDER) to strengthen informed decision-making processes based on timely and high-quality information, to optimize financial and human resources avoiding duplicating efforts, to promote transparency in the public management by facilitating users the access to the spatial data.

In order for Loreto to consolidate as a green region with a sustainable economic development that makes the most of its potential, the priorities should be::

2.

3.

1.

Carry forward the physical and legal land clearing for indigenous people’s territory. More native communities will be given land tittles. We consider that in order to develop an effective forestry management, it is necessary to previously grant rights over rainforest land, especially land that belongs to the indigenous people because they greatly support its conservation. We will contribute to accomplish Peru’s commitment to tittle 5 million hectares.

Creation of the Regional Environmental Authority.

Alto Amazonas (one of Loreto’s province) has its Ecological and Economic Zoning (ZEE).

Implementation of Loreto’s Regional Spatial Data Infrastructure.

Estimation of the GHG emissions in Loreto in process.

Strategic planning tools have been approved: Regional Participatory Development Plan, Institutional Strategic Plan (both incorporate the SEA’s

Implementing the PGSA, such as: (i) Economic valuation and supply chain assessment; (ii) sustainable tourism; (iii) intercultural economic planning – continue with native communities land titling.

recommendations), and 15 Socio-environmental Management Programs (part of the SEA).

600 native communities have been titled, which represents 1.8 million ha.

Loreto has 11 Natural Protected Areas in its territory. It also has 4 Regional Conservation Areas, which represent 2.1 ha of protected rainforests.

New forest concessions underway for public procurement.

Strengthening of Community-Based Forestry Management.

Implementing the Regional Government of Loreto’s projects to promote sustainable development through 2 main axes: (i) Regional Land-Use Planning, through the Ecological and Economic Zoning (ZEE); and (ii) the strengthening of environmental/forestry governance.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND STEPS FORWARD

CHALLENGES AHEAD

Photo: Liliana García / DAR

Photo: Pablo Puertas

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Development of forestry cadaster tools. Tittling of indigenous land. Economic valuation and supply chains

assessment. Value enhancement of the ACR for the

sustainable use of natural resources. Promotion and implementation of sustainable

tourism projects.

Strengthening the capabilities of the public servants.

Update of the Regional Forestry Strategy. Implementation and strengthening of the ARA

and its decentralized offices. Strengthening of the community-based forest

management. –Effective implementation of the Forestry and Wildlife Law.

Information to feed the Regional Spatial Data Infrastructure (IDER)

LAND - USEPLANNING - ZEE

GOVERNANCE

For this, Loreto is looking for new funding sources that can guarantee the implementation of its planning toolsand the development of its projects.

ENABLING CONDITIONS

PDRC EAE PGSA IDE ZEE

It is the most important document for regional

planning, it identifies the strategic axes of the region’s development

and incorporates recommendations from

the EAE.

The Strategic Environmental Assessment is an environmental

management tool that has as its objective to internalize the environment variable in the

development policy, plans and programs formulated by the

Government, using it also as a preventive tool.

These are strategic socio-environmental programs focused on minimizing or reducing

the effects of a set of megaprojects and

sectors analyzed in the EAE.

Spatial data tool that involves technology,

policy and institutional agreements that enhance

the development, exchange and use of spatial data related to

natural resources.

It is a technical tool to characterize the land, mainly its biological and physical aspects. The ZEE proposes different alternatives to manage the

impact that some activities can generate, making them more profitable and contributing to

prevent conflicts.

KEY CONCEPTS

With support: with funding:

Photo: Liliana García / DAR Photo: Marco Cimola / CIFOR Photo: Pablo Puertas

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