Marines, Police and Communities Join Forces Against Loggers and Illegal Coca Farmers

In a historic first, a conservation project has launched a joint operation between marines, police and communities to protect the Peruvian Amazon’s threatened Sierra del Divisor National Park.

The national park is home to thousands of species and stores 500 million tons of carbon dioxide, contributing to Peru’s mission to reduce carbon emissions.

The Global Park Defense system, funded by nature conservation group Global Conservation, is intended to protect the park against illegal logging and land clearing by coca producers. UAV drones are used by marines and communities to help improve patrol security and surveillance, and marine-supported high-speed river patrols help reduce typical patrol time into the park from eight hours to just two.

Additionally, community-based patrolling gives under-resourced national park rangers and surrounding villages the opportunity to protect their endangered forests and wildlife from illegal logging activities.