A year and a half into the implementation of the Manu Purús legacy landscape program, significant progress has been made in executing the mitigation measures outlined in the environmental and social action plan (ESAP). As of May 2025, 2% of the measures have been fully implemented, 36% have been initiated, and 31% are in progress. The remaining 22% of measures not yet started and 9% of delayed measures are scheduled to be initiated during the current year.
Stakeholder engagement plan
The program recognizes the importance of identifying and establishing strategic relationships with key stakeholders related to its activities. To this end, a stakeholder identification matrix was developed, which recorded over 100 program stakeholders categorized into three groups: Indigenous Peoples and/or local communities, governmental agencies, and non-governmental organizations.
The following spaces help strengthen dialogue, participatory decision-making, and effective coordination among actors, contributing to territorial governance and implementation of the program’s actions.
- Special PIACI commission – Madre de Dios: A regional body made up of institutional actors, aimed at establishing strategies to respond to situations involving Indigenous Peoples in voluntary isolation and initial contact (PIACI).
- Multisectoral roundtable of Madre de Dios: An interinstitutional coordination space where representatives of government entities, civil society organizations, and Indigenous communities converge to coordinate responses to key provincial needs.
Grievance, inquiry, and suggestion mechanism
- As part of its commitment to transparency, participation, and responsible management, the Manu Purús program is working jointly with the National Service of State-Protected Natural Areas (SERNANP) to consolidate and strengthen the grievance, inquiry, and suggestion mechanism (MAQS). Coordination spaces and joint strategies have been established to promote the use and dissemination of this mechanism across program activities carried out in conjunction with SERNANP.
- An internal grievance mechanism for the Manu Purús LL program is currently under development. Its goal is to define clear and accessible processes for receiving, analyzing, addressing, and resolving grievances and/or conflicts related to the implementation of its activities. This mechanism will be interconnected with SERNANP’s MAQS, establishing a coordinated response platform with a special emphasis on working with local communities and Indigenous Peoples, who are priority stakeholders in the program area.
Conservation agreements
- Nine conservation agreements have been signed with Indigenous communities, local communities, and associations from Alto Purús and Manu National Parks to promote sustainable economic alternatives aligned with ecosystem conservation. Each agreement aims to strengthen sustainable livelihoods and the conservation of natural resources through mutual commitments between the program and the beneficiaries.
- A contingency plan is being developed for each conservation agreement to ensure safe and sustainable implementation. These plans include the identification of threats and risks, as well as preventive measures and response actions. They are being designed together with the beneficiaries, and their implementation is scheduled for this year, which will strengthen the sustainability and effectiveness of the agreements.
Free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC)
To ensure proper consultation and consent processes with local communities and Indigenous Peoples, the program has prioritized the development of specific coordination protocols for each traditional territory. These protocols will define, through informed and participatory processes, the mechanisms for dialogue, consultation, decision-making, and coordination between the program and each community, in alignment with FPIC principles.
Five coordination protocols are being developed in close collaboration with Indigenous community authorities, respecting their governance structures and forms of organization.
Gender equality
- As part of its commitment to equity and inclusion, the Manu Purús legacy landscape program is conducting a gender analysis to identify key challenges and opportunities for integrating a gender perspective into its activities. This analysis will help define priority actions and a roadmap for progressively and effectively incorporating gender considerations into all program components.
- Complementary materials and operational tools have been developed and implemented to strengthen gender equity and social inclusion integration and evaluation, including:
- Updated attendance list formats that now include variables like self-identified ethnicity, gender, and age to allow disaggregated participation analysis.
- A social and environmental safeguards form that includes specific risk assessment and mitigation measures to be considered prior to field work with local communities and Indigenous Peoples, with emphasis on vulnerable populations and women.
- Key gender-related initiatives include:
- Promoting women-led initiatives under the conservation agreements, recognizing and strengthening their role in resource management and the local economy.
- Supporting safe childcare spaces during workshops or community meetings to enable women with caregiving responsibilities to participate. Interpreter and translator support is also promoted to ensure intercultural and respectful communication.
Intercultural education – achievements of the Matsigenka student residence (REEM)
- A 2025–2028 interinstitutional cooperation agreement between FZS and REMM supports the implementation of the secondary education service model with student residence (MSE–SRE) at the Matsigenka student residence (REEM) in the Boca Manu community.
- In 2024, communities within Manu National Park were invited to nominate students for REEM. This participatory process resulted in the enrollment of 25 Matsigenka adolescents (13 girls, 12 boys) from Tayakome, Yomibato, Tsirerishi, and Cacaotal communities. They are now attending secondary school in Boca Manu, representing a critical step toward guaranteeing education rights in a region with limited access.
- In 2025, coordination with the Regional Directorate of Education (DRE) and the Ministry of Education (MINEDU) enabled the hiring of five additional specialized staff for the REEM, including one Matsigenka community member:
- To ensure student well-being, the following support has been provided:
- Access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation
- Provision of uniforms, school supplies, and basic nutrition
- A protected environment with culturally relevant and trained staff
- Recognizing the particular challenges faced by Indigenous adolescent girls—especially in terms of gender-based violence and early pregnancy—the program is continuing awareness activities on intercultural sexual and reproductive health to empower girls and safeguard their rights.
Surveillance and control
- A specialized consultancy is being developed to assess safety regulations, evaluate risks and threats, and propose mitigation measures to protected natural area (PNA) staff, as well as representatives from governmental and non-governmental organizations linked to the LL Manu Purús legacy landscape program. This evaluation aims to:
- Technical teams and rangers of PNAPU and PNMA were trained on key topics such as: wildfire prevention and response, effective PNA management, social, environmental safeguards, Indigenous Peoples rights, use of surveillance and control technologies, first aid and field care, leadership and communication skills, and responsible use of social media for institutional communication.
- Community surveillance committees are being strengthened through training in the use of GPS and SMART devices and in preparing reports for authorities. Training also includes content on social and environmental safeguards, human rights, and conflict resolution to support culturally appropriate participatory monitoring.
Biological monitoring and conservation
- Key biological monitoring activities have focused on the giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), a keystone species in Amazonian aquatic ecosystems:
- Monitoring and population census of giant otters in nine lentic water bodies in the Las Piedras River basin (Tambopata, Madre de Dios) recorded 12 individuals.
- Monitoring in three river basins in Purús Province (Purús, Curanja, Novia), covering 15 water bodies and the Novia stream, recorded another 12 individuals.
Indigenous Peoples in isolation and initial contact (PIACI)
- A PIACI emergency contingency plan is scheduled for development, led by the PIACI special commission of Madre de Dios. This plan aims at aligning the program with PIACI collective rights in coordination with responsible institutions by establishing prevention, early warning, and response procedures for contact events, health risks, or other critical situations affecting these highly vulnerable populations.
- In coordination with the Ministry of Culture and its Directorate of Indigenous Peoples in isolation and initial contact, FZS technical staff are receiving training on regulatory, operational, and preventive mechanisms to protect PIACI rights, aligned with national and international standards.