Analog forestry in Santo Domingo, Peru

This project story began in 2013 when I finished my bachelor’s studies in forestry science (Agrarian La Molina University Lima-Peru). I started working in rural and indigenous communities throughout the Peruvian Amazon, spending months there while doing local engagement. Working with these communities, I became even more aware of their culture, complex livelihood, and vulnerability to climate change. I wanted to take more action in social science to complement my work with the communities, so I decided to do a Master’s in Germany (thanks to the DAAD’s scholarship). I was given the chance to study in an international context with classmates worldwide, and to contribute to developing and building bridges between forest initiatives. The DAAD also allowed me to take Weltweit’s course on Project Design and Implementation, and here our relationship started: I was fascinated by the course and the organization, so I became a member. Inspired by everything, it was time to put hands into actions. I met Andrea in Lima (yes, we both are also Foresters), and coincidently we studied the same master’s and Weltweit’s courses but in different years. Nonetheless, the action for working toward a sustainable forestry management and empowering local communities was always part of our brainstorming. We knew we wanted to develop social projects people-centered, and mobilize climate funding into local and regional project activities. We contacted CEARE – our local partners, whose founders are also foresters and friends. We have been following their activities, and all together, we set up the project.

CEARE is helping Yanesha Indigenous communities to restore their forests through implementing Analog Forestry. Analog forestry is a low-cost, small-scale technique focusing on increasing the biodiversity and productivity of the forest. We want to build capacities and transfer knowledge about sustainable environmental-economic benefits of landscape restoration.

In combination with the communities’ traditional knowledge, the project aims to:

(1) raise awareness about climate change, forest conservation, and Ecosystem Services in Santo Domingo Community (28 families)

(2) give some basic concepts about landscape restoration and Analog forestry through four workshops targeting women, and (3) install a pilot project (5 hectares) with economically and environmentally important species chosen by the communities.

Why do we want to do this? Because the forest has been destroyed. The main drivers of deforestation are poverty linked to unemployment, lack of sustainable economic activities & forest governance institutions, climate change, and poor education systems in rural areas. The current situation in the project areas is that communities do not have access to environmental education and training in sustainable agriculture, agroforestry and forestry activities. Therefore, deforestation and forest degradation occur as the communities seek areas for agricultural production that is done with low technology and unsustainable practices (after some years, the area is left unproductive, and the farmer clears new forests for setting a new production plot).

The project activities will focus on workshops and capacity building with the women’s community. The women will select the native species they want to plant based on their livelihoods and plan for their future. Lastly, the project will contribute to the following Sustainable Development Goals:

SDG 2 Zero Hunger (Sustainable agricultural management and healthy/organic food provision)

SDG 5 Gender Equality (women empowerment).

SDG 6 Clean water and Sanitation (Recover these services due to the recovery of the forest)

SDG 13 Climate Action (tackling climate change with carbon sequestration and community empowerment)

SDG 15 Life on Land (Forest restoration).

Maria Luisa Vasquez Coda