The Indigenous peoples of Putumayo have been advocating for the creation of the regional conservation area since 2010. Image Credit: Courtesy of Diego Pérez (SPDA)
Environment PeruNew Conservation Area Protects Amazon’s Carbon Heart
A vast new protected area in the Peruvian Amazon will help safeguard more than half of the region’s carbon reserves while strengthening Indigenous stewardship.
“This area is being driven by the Indigenous communities of the Medio Putumayo themselves, through three federations,” said Freddy Ferreyra from the Institute for the Common Good.
The Medio Putumayo Algodón Regional Conservation Area spans 283,595 hectares of pristine rainforest in northern Peru, holding 53% of Loreto’s annual carbon stock. The reserve will benefit 16 Indigenous communities across seven groups, including the Murui, Yagua, Kukama, and Bora peoples, who helped lead the decade-long campaign to create it. Now part of the transboundary Putumayo Amazon Indigenous Landscape, the area connects ecosystems across Peru and Colombia and protects habitat for jaguars, giant otters, river dolphins, and nearly 450 bird species. By securing this living corridor, Peru ensures both cultural continuity and a powerful shield against deforestation and climate change.
