Peru’s Natural Legacy – Amazon & Climate (PdP A&C): Effective Management of Peruvian Amazon Protected Areas for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation

The Peruvian Amazon forms a vital part of the Amazon biome and is one of the world’s most important ecosystems for climate regulation and biodiversity conservation. Within this landscape, approximately 17 million hectares are protected within 38 national parks. Despite their protected status, they remain under pressure from deforestation, unsustainable land-use change, and climate impacts. Limited resources for effective management have weakened protection efforts, allowing forest loss to continue even within protected areas. These environmental pressures threaten the livelihoods and cultural survival of Indigenous communities that depend on forest ecosystems for food, income, and essential ecosystem services.

This project seeks to strengthen the management and climate resilience of 25 national protected areas and four surrounding buffer zones in the Peruvian Amazon. By improving governance, monitoring systems, and sustainable financing mechanisms, the initiative aims to reduce deforestation and safeguard critical ecosystems. The project will elevate all targeted protected areas to a stronger management standard, with several reaching an optimal level of effectiveness.

In parallel, the initiative supports Indigenous communities through locally led adaptation measures and ecosystem-based solutions that strengthen climate-resilient livelihoods. By combining stronger conservation management with community-driven adaptation, the project aims to reduce deforestation-related emissions while protecting biodiversity and enhancing the resilience of Indigenous peoples across the Peruvian Amazon.