In the South Peruvian Madre de Dios Department, ten indigenous communities came together with government authorities to form Ejecutor de Contrato de Administración de la Reserva Comunal Amarakaeri (ECA-RCA, Executor of the Administrative Contract of the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve) to protect their ancestral rainforest. In a powerful example of the potential for shared governance and co-management, the group has worked hand-in-hand with the National Service of Protected Areas (SERNANP) to mitigate climate change through the sustainable management of the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve. Covering 402,335 hectares, the reserve is recognized by IUCN and protects primary forest in its entirety in an area under threat from illegal mining. ECA-RCA places priority on the engagement of youth and women, with youth comprising 60 percent of the reserve surveillance team and women occupying key leadership positions. ECA-RCA is a positive example of polycentric governance that shows how co-management of ecologically vulnerable natural resources between state and local communities can be effective.

Key Facts 

Equator Prize Winner: 2019

Founded: 2006

Location: Puerto Maldonado, Tambopata-Madre de Dios, Peru

Ecosystem: Forests, Wetlands and rivers

Case study

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