TAMBOPATA BIODIVERSITY RESERVE— Peru
Stand For Trees Project Impacts
Recognized internationally as an area of incredible biodiversity, the Tambopata National Reserve and Bahuaja Sonene National Park in the Peruvian Amazon is home to some of the world’s most beautiful and endangered wildlife. Jaguar, Giant River Otters and Giant Armadillos can be found living alongside Blue Macaws and other endangered species in need of immediate protection. Families and communities living around the Reserve rely upon clean water and other resources supplied by the forests.
However, the area was under threat from illegal loggers and the steady erosion of forest cover for subsistence farming. Stand for Trees helps fund the preservation of this highly bio-diverse rainforest. Funds from Stand for Trees certificates support the protection of the Reserve and the restoration of degraded lands for small farmers and native communities.
Key Facts:
• This Reserve is located in the “Biodiversity Capital” of Peru
• Protects endangered species like Giant River Otters, jaguars, and spider monkeys
• Improves agricultural practices and sustainable livelihoods in the region
PROJECT IMPACTS
Endangered Species
The Tambopata National Reserve is known as the Biodiversity Capital of Peru, and for good reason! It is home to some amazing — and endangered — species such as the Giant River Otter, which is estimated to have a wild population of fewer than 5,000 individuals remaining.
The other flagship species of the Reserve is the Jaguar, the largest cat of the Americas. Their wild population is rapidly declining due to hunting and habitat loss due to deforestation. The Tambopata Reserve offers protection to these beautiful animals, carrying out important monitoring and conservation activities.
Community Development
Approximately 11,500 inhabitants, primarily small-scale farmers, live in the area surrounding the reserve. The project is working to improve livelihoods for many of these families by helping to improve sustainable agricultural practices in the area. The project has established a smallholder cooperative that will enable improved harvest management. The project has also planted 4,000 hectares of cocoa trees on previously degraded land to provide alternate incomes and improve soil quality.
Emission Reductions & Certifications
The project will generate approximately 4,500,000 Verified Emission Reductions over its 10-year lifetime. Althelia and it’s partners are developing and implementing long term plans to assist communities around the Reserve in becoming more self-sufficient, relying more on sustainably grown, Fair Trade cocoa than on subsistence agriculture by 2020.
VCS Verification: The Tambopata REDD+ Project has been successfully validated and verified to the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS).
CCB Verification: The project has also achieved validation & verification to the Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standards Second Edition, with Climate Adaptation and Biodiversity Gold Levels.