Case study

Ricardo Villanueva

Livelihood vulnerability and Sustainability: Indigenous communities in San Martin, Peru

San Martin, Peru

This region is located in the northeast of Peru. It is formed by several valleys which are part of the Amazonian basin. Huallaga and Mayo rivers are the largest systems.

BASIC FACTS
Altitude: 800 4000 meters above the sea Average year temperature: 23 C Average year precipitation: 1300 cubic mm Habitats: Mountain forest, subtropical rain forest, lowlands, swamps and amazonian river valleys.

Rural communities: background

In the northeast of Peru the provinces of Moyobamba and Rioja, are located within the heart of Amazonian basin. Both have extensive plains which rises in elevation as they form towering hills that reach 1300 meters above sea level. The climate in both provinces is hot and humid. December to March is the most rainy time. Average annual maximum temperature is 29C (84F) and the minimum is 18C (64F). Lands are crossed by several rivers (Mayo, Tioyacu) that form pools and waterfalls along their course. All these contribute to the large Huallaga river. Rainforest is the main ecosystem characterised by dense vegetation housing a great quantity of birds and Amazonian wildlife.

Problems affecting local communities

Awajun communities in San Martin are settled and concentrated in areas easily accessible by asphalted roads and in cases like Alto Mayo, Shampuyacu, High and Low Naranjillo have access to basic services like electricity and running water.
Local environment has been deteriorated as a consequence of unplanned human intervention. Different processes that have converged to put under stress the natural resources in their areas, including water, soil and wildlife.

 Hazards

affecting these communities range from weather events exacerbated by global warming as well as local demographic and economic processes such as settlement of farmers from the surrounding highland areas.
A major problem is the pollution of rivers and streams which supplied fish to the household diet, as well as the depletion of species of wild animals caused by overhunting.

 Most

common land tenure type in the region are small family holdings and community shared plots. Low productivity and poor agricultural practices have led to water and soil pollution, erosion and desertification. Institutional weaknesses prevent the development of sustainable natural resource management. Over recent years as individual households have gained acces to land titles land leasing is becoming increasingly attractive. Families and communities may rent out land for the production of cash crops

Non sustainable land use

Land

leasing and weakeness in effective management of natural resources lead to pollution of fresh water pools and further exhaustion of soil nutrients. It causes that after the cycle of use leasers move to new locations thus extending soil degradation. farming, agro-industrial, and forest-colonization activities are responsible for significant deforestation.

Mechanized

Forestry

Local households are entitled to access forests through a community forest management model implemented by local forest cooperatives. But in contrast to other areas of the Peruvian Amazonian basin where lowland indigenous communities actually receive access to forest reserves- deforestation has caused severe reduction of native forest and secondary woods have replaced them Therefore agriculture remains as the major productive activity.

Key Issues

.A long term and holistic response to greenhouse effect also involves large scale Amazonian forest recovery and management. What roles can effectively accomplish indigenous communities in San Martin in agroforestry sustainable management? What partnerships would be the most effective to pursue models of sustainable development for Amazonian lowlands? for the viability of projects it is essential to develop empowerment processes that enable villagers to become agents of change. How attitudes for sustainable management of natural resourcs might be effectively developed? Which kind of individual and group incentives would be effective?