Promoting indigenous forest conservation through the implementation of Technical Community Forest Management Units in the Ucayali region

The Ucayali region is home to Peru’s second largest forest area, which also has the highest deforestation rates in the country. A new forestry and forest protection law provides for the establishment of indigenous technical forestry management units (UTMFC) to protect the forests. The UTMFC was established by the national forestry authority (SERFOR) and the regional forestry authority of Ucayali (GOREU) in cooperation with the organisation of the Indigenous People of Ucayali (ORAU). The project improved the work of the UTMFC by strengthening the cooperation between the participating partners involved, it supported the GOREU in the deployment of two UTMFC units, helped the SERFOR to organise intercultural training courses for indigenous forest management in the Ucayali region and helped the ORAU in its efforts to monitor the prevention of illegal forest use. In this way, it improved sustainable forest management and contributed to the implementation of REDD+ and MRV (Measuring, Reporting and Verification) for the indigenous populations in Amazonia.

Project data

Countries: Peru
IKI funding: 2,018,694.00 €
Duration: 08/2019 till 12/2022
Status: completed
Implementing organisation: Environmental Law and Natural Resources (DAR) - Peru
Political Partner: Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest (AIDESEP) - Peru

Ministry of Environment (MINAM) - Peru

National Forest and Wildlife Authority (SERFOR) - Peru

Ucayali Regional Government - Peru
Implementing Partner: Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest (AIDESEP) - Peru

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State of implementation/results

Project completed.
The actions, activities and achievements obtained in the project have been disseminated through the project’s Facebook page.
Approximately 576000 hectares of forest in Ucayali are under the control and surveillance of indigenous communities.
50 control and surveillance committees recognized in Atalaya and Coronel Portillo.
250 indigenous community members from 18 communities were strengthened in community forest management.
33 indigenous trainers from Ucayali were trained.
The results and activities of the project were presented at the Expoamazonica (dar.org.pe/…, dar.org.pe/…, dar.org.pe/…) and V Amazon Summit of COICA (dar.org.pe/…).
On August 24 2022, the workshop of the Operational Committee of the Project Conservation of Indigenous Forests of Ucayali was held to determine the lessons learned from the implementation of the project. Indigenous organizations (ORAU, CORPIAA, URPIA), the regional Forest and Wildlife Authority (GERFFS), the national Forest and Wildlife Authority (SERFOR) and Environmental Law and Natural Resources (DAR) participated in the workshop.
In April 2021, the national Forest and Wildlife Authority (SERFOR) approved its Capacity Development Plan (PDC) for forest and wildlife management for the period between 2021 and 2025. A document that contains the bases for the development of capacities of the stakeholders involved; including native and peasant communities for the sustainable, efficient and competitive management of their forest and wildlife resources.
The Intercultural Program for the Training of Trainers in Community Forest Management (PIFFMFC), which has been adapted to the context of Ucayali, was aligned with the PDC. Additionally, a set of communication products were prepared for the PIFFMFC (radio spots, press releases, information tablets, etc.).
The structure of the regional Forest and Wildlife Authority (GERFFS) is in the process of review and adjustment, providing within this new design, the Technical Units of Community Forest Management (UTMFC). As a previous step to the creation of the UTMFC, in May 2021, the ordinance was published with which the Forest Management and Wildlife Units of Ucayali are created (Regional Ordinance No. 023.2018-GRU-CR). Likewise, the Action Plan for the approval and Implementation of the UTMFCs was drawn up.
To strengthen the coordination between AIDESEP´s Regional Organization of Ucayali (ORAU) and the Forest Resources and Wildlife Supervision Agency (OSINFOR), in April 2021 an inter-institutional cooperation framework agreement was signed, to strengthen inter-institutional collaboration and technical cooperation actions, promoting cultural integration, the development of capacity building programs that benefit native communities, with an emphasis on traditional and ancestral knowledge of indigenous peoples and local populations of the territories involved.
DAR has held two meetings of the operating committee, through which the progress of the activities, the challenges and the identification of actions and mechanisms to improve coordination have been shared.
Presentation of the project and articulation with other cooperation initiatives for the community forest management and the control and monitoring of forest resources of the Ucayali region (bit.ly/…).
UTMFC is running two pilots that will provide the public technical assistance service for community forest management to the native communities of the Ucayali region (bit.ly/…).
Regional Congress on Community Forest Monitoring Initiative realized from ORAU. The President of the Organization explains the project and the benefit for the native communities (bit.ly/…).
Installation of the project steering committee, considered a good practice of governance and participation in forest management (bit.ly/…).