A Rocha Peru, an international conservation organization, proposes an integrative conservation project in the urban lomas of Lima, Peru which engages local impoverished communities. The objectives of intervention are to address the causes of the lomas’ primary threats and to restore the ecosystem for the benefit of resident wildlife populations and the surrounding communities. The purposed methodology for achieving long term and substantial benefits is based on creating partnerships with primary stakeholders and empowering local organizations to have both formal and effective authority. Environmental benefits include increased biodiversity, health and protection for the endemic loma ecosystems. Socioeconomic benefits include improving the livelihoods of community members by increased income and access to fresh water, both of which are tied to maintaining the health of the loma.

This project is in the start-up phase with multiple initial studies on biodiversity and socio-economic health completed. The project model has also received support from the Municipality of Lima but, is in need of initial capital.

Problem

The most direct threats to the endemic lomas of Villa María del Triunfo and the lomas of Amancaes in Rimac are habitat destruction, pollution and the introduction of invasive species. As the city of Lima grows, communities are developing farther from the city center and into the remaining loma habitat. This occupation includes homes, small agricultural plots, and animal farms which destroy native vegetation and reduce viable habitat for resident wildlife. Rapid and intensive construction, such as the road being built through the lomas of Villa María, is also a threat to long-term ecosystem health. This road, constructed by La Asociación para el Desarrollo del Lampa, provides increased human access into the most well conserved part of the lomas, further exposing it to stress and degradation. </p>According to eye-witness reports, entire valleys in Villa Maria have become occupied within the last five years indicating a high rate of urban growth and expansion in the lomas. The unmanaged occupation of and construction by the local surrounding communities is a main contributing factor to destruction and pollution. Related human impact includes uncontrolled footpaths and garbage heaps which degrade the ecosystem and prevent vegetation growth. The lomas are further contaminated by solid waste as solid waste programs are insufficient or non-existent. Negative human impact in the Lomas of Villa María is further evidenced by the introduction of invasive species such as Tropaeolum majus, an ornamental plant used by community members. There are also published reports documenting the presence of multiple species of exotic rodents in this Loma (Mena et al. 2007).The rate of distribution for invasive species increases with unmanaged human activity and land alteration.</p> </p>One of the fundamental problems behind the identified threats is the ineffectiveness of the local governmental regulation and conflicting governmental agendas. La Asociación para el Desarrollo del Lampa is operating under municipal authorization to use sections of the loma for agricultural purposes. If more loma habitat is designated as agricultural land or more homes are allowed to be constructed without increased regulation and land ordinance, the problems associated with occupation and construction will continue to worsen. For example, the Ordenanza N°1084 MML, article 11, from October 11, 2007, established a Zona de Regulacion Especial (ZRE) in high altitude urban zones prohibiting occupation in qualifying areas. While the lomas of Villa María qualify for this designation, there is little evidence of enforcement in the identified Zona de Protección y Tratamiento Paisajista (PTP). Without regulatory intervention, most of the remaining loma habitat will fall to the rapid urban expansion and degradation described above.</p> </p>Complicating this scenario are the effects of global climate change. The Peruvian coastline is expected to receive more frequent episodes of El Niño and La Niña causing significant periods of precipitation during some of the driest months of the year. Among its many effects is the warming of the coastal waters and flash floods after torrential rain (NOAA, 2011). More pertinent to the lomas in the urban context of Lima is the observation that the level of fog needed by the lomas to sustain vegetation is moving lower down the slopes with climate change. The possible implication is that as the fog hovers at a lower altitude, and as the construction and occupation of the communities continues to climb, the remaining viable loma habitat in the Lomas of Villa María and Amacaes is greatly reduced. Human adaptation and adjustment in behavior by the communities living in and around these lomas, is the most immediate way to respond to the projected change.</p> </p>A second possible contributing factor to loma degradation is a lack of community knowledge about the lomas and the reasons to protect them. Increasing levels of environmental degradation suggest that conservation in these communities is not a priority. Several community groups have been identified through our initial studies as proponents of loma conservation. However, on their own they have not been able to have a comprehensive and long-term impact on the lomas. Part of this problem may be a lack of central organization among these groups, unsustainable funding, and little community support. As many of the residents living in and around the lomas are migrants from other parts of the country, they have little personal and historical experience with the coastal lomas ecosystem. The absence of environmental education over the value of the lomas has also contributed to the lack of interest in conservation. This is an area of inquiry which needs further research and expansion to better understand community motivations.</p> </p>Finally, economic poverty may be a factor in how these communities are choosing to use the lomas for either agricultural purposes or the illegal construction of homes. Inadequate public policy for the eradication of poverty has created a deficiency in available basic services throughout the urban area. As more people migrate to Lima from the poor surrounding provinces, they are increasingly unable to find areas with basic services which they can afford. The community of Villa María represents 50 years of migration and is consequently concentrated with situations of poverty and activity in the lomas that attempts to satisfy basic human needs. This activity usually falls short of expectations and instead further degrades one of their best potential resources.</p>

Solution

</p>Phase 1:</p> </p>While the threats to long-term conservation success are not completely absolved by government intervention, political support is a necessary and preliminary step to reduce the effects of urban sprawl in the lomas. Because political conflict, corruption and ineffective policies are at the root of many of the present threats to loma health, they require A Rocha to consider a top-down approach to conservation. However, the people in the surrounding communities remain a central target of reform since they are both the main direct cause of loma degradation and the ones who will ultimately affect long-term conservation success. Building networks between stakeholders at this point will broaden the knowledge base and encourage a more collective approach to intervention. The focus in this phase will be on inclusiveness and consensus as A Rocha Peru works to make sure everyone has a space at the negotiation table during the period of consultation and during subsequent meetings of the new coalition involving all local stakeholders.</p> </p>The purpose of this coalition would stretch beyond the Municipality’s initial agenda for official reserve designation and continue to shape future loma projects long-term. While the Municipality should be a present member in this coalition, the group can also function as an advocacy committee focused on garnering a stronger political will to more positively affect community development and loma protection. One such policy that will be important for the future stages of project implementation is stronger land ordinance creation and enforcement. Although the likelihood of relocating present residents is low, there is hope that with coalition support, the older communities that have lived at the base of the lomas for at least 40 years can be empowered to lead efforts to prevent further encroachment and higher construction. With a dual approach, there can be both political and community will to protect the remaining loma habitat and open up the opportunity to begin phase two of the project.</p> </p>Phase 2:</p> </p>The second phase of intervention focuses on directly engaging and educating community members and equipping them to restore and protect the lomas. The incentive for protection will be the basic goods and services such as fresh water and fruit production provided by a healthy lomas ecosystem. As is reflected in the problem concept chart, one reason for the lack of community interest in lomas protection is a different set of priorities among the people living there. Poverty, and the subsequent lack of basic services, highlights the most pressing physical and economic needs of the community. If the project which A Rocha Peru seeks to initiate can simultaneously address some of these needs, the community may be more willing to participate. Considering the services which a healthy loma provides, we have determined and will explain in full below five direct areas of community benefit and involvement: Environmental Education, Tara (Caesalpinia spinosa) Fruit Production, Water Capture, Ecological Tourism and Cultural Tourism.</p> </p>The effectiveness and sustainability of this approach requires a shift in the public perception of loma restoration and requires that the economic benefits of loma restoration are directed at the community. Casting a vision for the long-term impacts of the project through community meetings with local environmental organizations and local politicians will mobilize the support of landowners and put pressure on the local governments for continued regulatory support. In the case of watershed reform in Ecuador, the local politicians initially supported reform efforts because they were perceived to have few costs while offering the possibility of access to outside resources (Kouffman Ph.D candidate 2011). A Rocha Peru will be a key link to finding funding for the first phases of implementation and provide capacity building events and activities that strength landowner participation. Overall, the multi-stakeholder coalition established during phase one of the project must be maintained through open communication, organized times for dialogue, and invested interest by all parties. Without an established political and community will for change in approach and action to loma projection and restoration, phase two will not be effective of sustainable.</p>

Example

</p>The intention is to pursue a project model which addresses the root causes of the direct threats in order to promote sustainable and long-term change. By partnering with local organizations, university groups, local and city governments, the private sector, and other stakeholders, A Rocha can promote collaboration and provide an external source of expertise and guidance. As A Rocha pursues its ultimate objective, the process will require more intensive effort by our organization at the project’s inception. This role is to coordinate stakeholder interests, secure start-up funding, and provide a holistic vision for community development and ecosystem health. It will also be important for A Rocha Peru to recognize and incorporate community assets into the work plan.</p> </p>While there are various models of collaboration, the model A Rocha Peru seeks to pursue is based on forming partnerships and leveraging the interests of identified stakeholders. The goal is to form coalitions which constitute “political spaces in which differently situated actors negotiate…the social, cultural, and political meanings of their joint enterprise” (Keck and Sikkink 1998, Kauffman Ph.D. candidate 2011). Each actor has specific interests which must be further identified and leveraged within a coalition framework to reach the ultimate objective. This process creates “ideational power” which is exercised when actors seek to “influence, alter, or build: (a) expertise, knowhow, and institutional capabilities, and (b) beliefs, understandings, and discourse” (Deere, 2009). Again, A Rocha Peru can facilitate this development by providing a holistic vision and creating space for dialogue, interest integration and capacity building. Consequently it will be the local stakeholders that become the agents of their own transformation.</p> </p>Under this model, the indicators of success and good governance are inclusiveness, consensus, effectiveness and sustainability. These are qualities which have been outlined in other studies seeking to capture aspects of community participation, equitable distribution of resources, and long-term impact (Grindle 2007, World Bank 2007, Kouffman Ph.D candidate 2011). Phase one of A Rocha Peru’s involvement will focus most intensely on inclusiveness and consensus by addressing political tensions. Because the Municipality is working on zoning legislation right now, it is the most immediate access point for influencing land use policy and subsequently, loma degradation. The second phase of the project will move towards restoration and focus on securing effectiveness and sustainability. A Rocha will work to increase biodiversity and consider the environmental services which a healthy loma provides to the surrounding communities.</p> </p>Further research activities will also help us to target our effectiveness and make sure that restoration efforts are appropriate to the context. Therefore throughout the first and second phases of the project, A Rocha Peru can team up with universities and consultant firms to further assess themes such as environmental good and services, GIS watershed mapping, legal ordinances currently enforced, and implications of climate change projects on the lomas. While our initial reports served as firm basis for making the following project plan, more investigation is needed to carry out both phases of the project with the highest degree of accuracy.</p>

Marketplace

The biggest challenges associated with this project's success are ongoing Municipality and community support and the initial capital required to start implementing technical solutions. Currently there are few international or national organizations doing loma conservation work in Peru, let alone in the urban center of Lima.