Case study: Peruvian Amazon

Where is the Peruvian Amazon?

Northeast Peru, South America

How much of Peru is covered by the Peruvian Amazon?

60%

What is the average temperature in the Peruvian Amazon?

28°C

What is the annual rainfall in the Peruvian Amazon?

2600mm

Why is Peruvian Amazon important?

Biodiversity → The home to 44% of all bird species & 63% of mammals, has around 3000 species, 16% of which exist nowhere else

Archaeology → Has the remains of ancient civilisations such as the Cachapoyas

Indigenous tribes → Home to many traditional tribes that live sustainably in remote parts of the rainforest

Medicinal plants → Some plants in the rainforest can help treat diseases such as cancer, 70% of plants with anitcancer properties can only be found in the Amazon (e.g. Lapacho Handroanthus impetiginosus)

How is the Peruvian Amazon under threat from human activity?

Timber

Energy

Mining

Roads

Agriculture

Timber

Hardwood trees in the rainforest (e.g. mahogany) are cut down to be used for furniture & construction

Around 95% of logging is unregulated & illegal

This results in deforestation, destroying vast areas of the rainforest

Energy

The Peruvian Amazon has large reserves of oil & gas

China has invested in oil extraction in the Madre de Dios region, which is home to 10% of the world’s bird species, which makes them vulnerable to endangerment

Oil spills damage ecosystems & pollute rivers

There are plans to construct up to 15 dams in the Peruvian Amazon so that more electricity can be exported to Brazil

Mining

Gold can be mined in the Peruvian Amazon from alluvium in rivers

This leads to toxic chemicals (e.g. mercury) polluting water

Illegal mining is appealing to many local farmers as they can make up to 10-100 times more in a day of mining than in a month of farming

Roads

The Trans-oceanic Highway is a road project that plans to connect a major Brazilian Highway to the Pacific ports in Peru

This will cause significant rainforest loss & make illegal logging & mining more accessible

Agriculture

Lowland areas in the Peruvian Amazon are being cleared for cattle ranching & the cultivation of crops (e.g. soyabean)

Fires that are used to clear land can burn out of control & lead to widespread habitat destruction

How have sustainable management strategies in the Peruvian Amazon been successful?

→ Deforestation due to gold mining has decreased by 95%

→ Illegal mining has become less attractive as miners can be sent to court in 48 hours, sentenced in 8 days & put in prison for 12 years

→ Indigenous tribes have been given land ownership & can control the use of their land

→ National Parks & Reserves protect areas with high biodiversity

→ In 2015, The Purus Manu Conservation Corridor comprises several national parks and reserves, making it the largest protected area in Peru with 10 million hectares

How have sustainable management strategies in the Peruvian Amazon been not successful?

→ Illegal mining & logging camps are destroyed with explosives, harming the surrounding ecosystem

→ Military forces are severely out numbered with 1800 military against 40000 illegal miners

→ Illegal miners & loggers move elsewhere in the vast rainforest, making them difficult to track