Un camino hacia la equidad y la sustentabilidad : 15 años de la Oficina Regional Sudamericana de la Unión Mundial para la Naturaleza

The Serranía de Chiribiquete National Natural Park is Colombia’s largest terrestrial protected area, covering more than 4 million hectares, and for that reason presents multiple challenges for its management and protection. Its inscription on the World Heritage List as a mixed site in 2018 raised important questions about the area’s sustainability and the best approach to its management. Among the main challenges for managing this World Heritage Site (WHS) are climate change, tourism, and deforestation associated with unauthorized land uses, the latter occurring in areas surrounding the site. However, the greatest challenge likely relates to the presence of uncontacted indigenous communities within the WHM, which is why access to the area is strictly restricted for conservation purposes. Consequently, various strategies have been proposed, including a working strategy focused on the area of influence to address the threats facing the site.

The Colombian Amazon is a biome of extraordinary biocultural richness that provides vital ecosystem services and faces complex socio-environmental pressures. There, traditional practices of Indigenous Peoples coexist with the productive systems of peasant, Afro-Colombian, and peace-signatory communities, as well as extractive activities and armed conflict.

There are also socio-environmental conflicts driven by socioeconomic inequalities among its inhabitants, which contribute to deforestation and affect ecological connectivity. In contrast, there is a tradition of community-led processes that sustainably manage the territory.

This solution presents the results of the Sustainable Amazon for Peace project, which strengthened environmental governance for #PeaceWithNature through conservation practices and the sustainable use of biodiversity in the northwestern Amazon (areas with the highest deforestation rates); supported by public policies formulated by institutions contributing to the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Agreement and climate action.

The Iguaçu region, located at the tri-border area between Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, is home to one of the last viable populations of jaguars in the Atlantic Forest. Interaction with human activities, particularly agriculture and livestock farming, has led to conflicts, economic losses, and negative perceptions of the species, thereby increasing hunting pressure on it. To address this challenge, Iguaçu National Park, through the Onças do Iguaçu Project, has implemented an integrated strategy for the coexistence of big cats with local communities in the region. The approach combines responses to predation incidents, preventive measures, training, community engagement, and institutional coordination. A structured protocol guides these actions, including assessment, mitigation, and continuous monitoring. On a regional scale, the Tri-national Coexistence Network strengthens cooperation between Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. The solution helps reduce conflicts, increase tolerance, and promote the conservation of the jaguar in the landscape.

The RNDN, created in 2021, is the largest Natural Protected Area in Peru (6,239,205.75 ha) and the only one focused exclusively on marine ecosystems. Located 105 km off the coast of Ica, it is a vital source of resources like giant squid, sharks, and flying fish eggs for fishers from Paita, Pisco, Marcona, and Matarani. Its creation was an unprecedented multisectoral process that involved various stakeholders and governmental institutions. In 2022, the San Andres Artisanal Fishers Syndicate led the RNDN management committee, and in 2023 the Master Plan’s terms of reference were approved. The first Master Plan was developed collaboratively with fishing organizations and stakeholders, setting strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of natural and cultural resources. This plan integrates commitments to protect marine species, including the “Blue Five” (in this case whales, sharks, turtles and dolphins), and recognizes the identity and knowledge of artisanal fishers as part of the sociocultural value of the NPA.

The Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary is a marine treasure covering 4.8 million hectares, located 490 km off the Colombian coast. But protecting such a vast area presents major challenges, especially when resources for its management are limited. This is where collaboration makes a difference! Thanks to relationships with various key players involved in managing the protected area, especially the strategic alliance with the Biodiversity Conservation Colombia Foundation through its Silky project, support is provided to the Malpelo SFF park rangers in their daily work of navigating Colombian waters to monitor and control illegal and illicit fishing, collect solid waste, conduct research and monitoring, and ensure responsible ecotourism. The results are amazing! Since 2018, these pressures have been reduced, promoting the increase of marine populations that are key to the health of the ecosystems of the Tropical Western Pacific.

The jaguar (yaguareté) is the largest feline in the Americas and a national symbol in Argentina, yet fewer than 250 remain nationwide, about 90 in Misiones. Habitat loss and declining prey have increased jaguar predation on livestock and pets, harming farmer’s income and driving retaliatory killings. To transform conflict into coexistence, the Government of Misiones, UNDP (BIOFIN and IRFF), the insurer Río Uruguay Seguros, and the NGO Aves Argentinas developed the world’s first jaguar-protection insurance.

Purchased by the province of Misiones and offered free of charge to residents, the insurance provides prompt compensation to producers for verified jaguar predation. Launched in April 2025, the scheme verified five claims in its pilot phase in Comandante Andresito and has since expanded to other municipalities affected by human–jaguar conflict. By protecting rural livelihoods, the insurance discourages retaliation and protects the jaguar.