With the support of the Conserva Aves Initiative in Peru, leaders from the communities that make up the proposed Rontoccocha Regional Conservation Area (RCA) participated in an internship at the Ausangate RCA in Cusco, Peru.
Photo credit: IDMA.
Visit to Qelqaya Glacier Ausangate Regional Conservation Area, Cusco, Peru.
The internship, held in the Ausangate Regional Conservation Area, located in the Phinaya Campesino Community of the Pitumarca District, Canchis Province, Cusco Department, brought together leaders from 11 communities in the districts of Lambrama, Curahuasi and Abancay, Abancay – Apurimac Province. On September 23, 24 and 25, the participants learned about environmental management practices and biodiversity conservation, with the goal of adapting new experiences in their communities within the ACR Rontoccocha proposal.
“This internship has allowed us to learn directly from the practices of our brothers in Cusco, and we feel motivated to replicate these experiences in Apurimac,” said Juan Damián Sánchez, president of the Santa Isabel de Caype peasant community in the district of Lambrama.
Project context and details
The project aimed to sensitize community leaders to the importance of environmental management and biodiversity conservation, and to generate active participation in the process of establishing the Rontoccocha RCA. The call was made by the Regional Administration of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, in coordination with the institutions supporting the process: ACCA and IDMA. The leaders of the communities that are part of the Rontoccocha RCA proposal were invited.
The main objective of the activity was to promote the exchange of experiences in the management of a Regional Conservation Area, allowing community leaders to learn about the importance, scope, benefits and sustainable economic activities within an RCA.
Several activities were carried out during the internship. On the one hand, socialization processes were included on the work being developed in the Regional Conservation Areas (RCAs) of the Regional Management of Natural Resources and Environmental Management in the Cusco Region. On the other hand, information was provided on the panorama of policies and management strategies in RCAs, as well as visits and socialization of the work being carried out to address climate change in different areas of the Ausangate RCA, such as the Qelqaya Glacier, the wetlands, the Sibinaqocha lagoon and the control zone of the RCA. To complement the information, there was a discussion with the leaders of the Phinaya community and the Sibina Salma Association, as well as a cultural exchange that included artistic presentations from the participating communities.
The leaders of ACR Rontoccocha gained important knowledge about biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, and strengthened their commitment and motivation to conserve water resources and biodiversity in their own communities and in the ACR Rontoccocha proposal. This conservation in areas such as ACR Ausangate and Rontoccocha responds to the need to preserve fragile ecosystems in the Andes and guarantee access to natural resources for future generations.
The event was attended by professionals responsible for the RCA, belonging to the Regional Management of Natural Resources of the Regional Governments of Cusco and Apurimac; Regional Councillor Benancio Quispe Pillaca, President of the Environmental Commission of the Regional Government of Apurimac; as well as representatives of the NGOs ACCA and IDMA, who have supported the process of establishing the Rontoccocha RCA proposal.
The internship resulted in a fluid exchange of experiences and knowledge between the leaders of the Rontoccocha RCA proposal and the leaders and technicians of the Ausangate RCA. The leaders of the Rontoccocha RCA proposal were able to observe first-hand the conservation and sustainable development practices implemented in the Ausangate RCA, such as pasture management, control and monitoring of the area, and community tourism. This experience strengthened their commitment to the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable development of their communities.
This internship is part of the activities promoted by the Conserva Aves initiative in Peru through the local partner IDMA and the national partners Profonanpe and ECOAN.
Conserva Aves is the protection of territories of life!
It is an innovative and inclusive hemispheric conservation initiative developed by American Bird Conservancy, Audubon, BirdLife International, Birds Canada and the Network of Environmental Funds of Latin America and the Caribbean (RedLAC) to protect areas of exceptional biodiversity value and promote climate resilience, sustainable development and community well-being. It is supported by the Bezos Earth Fund.