RESUMEN
La alta tasa de fracaso de los proyectos de desarrollo impulsados con comunidades locales de la Amazonía peruana en las últimas décadas no ha sido óbice para que se siga cometiendo los mismos errores año tras año, con grandes impactos sociales, ambientales y económicos, pese al carácter 'sostenible' e 'inclusivo' que muchos se atribuyen. Se analizan los factores de fracaso, con énfasis en el desconocimiento de la realidad amazónica y en la falta de pertinencia ambiental y cultural de los modelos de desarrollo replicados de otras regiones. Se propone como alternativa la promoción de bioemprendimientos liderados por las familias y grupos de interés de las comunidades amazónicas, de preferencia con recursos no maderables del bosque en pie, acordes con el perfil "bosquesino" de las sociedades amazónicas tradicionales, y la aplicación de tecnologías y otras soluciones pertinentes culturalmente.
The persistently high rate of failure in development projects involving local communities in the Peruvian Amazon over recent decades has not prevented the recurrence of these same mistakes year after year, resulting in significant social, environmental, and economic impacts, despite claims of 'sustainability' and 'inclusivity' by many. This paper analyses the factors contributing to this failure, with a particular focus on the lack of understanding of the Amazonian reality and the absence of environmental and cultural relevance in development models imported from other regions. As an alternative approach, we propose the promotion of bio-entrepreneurship initiatives led by families and community interest groups in the Amazonian communities. These initiatives should preferably involve non-timber forest resources, in alignment with the 'forest-oriented' profile of traditional Amazonian societies. Additionally, the application of culturally pertinent technologies and other solutions is recommended.
RESUMEN
Meeting international commitments to protect 17% of terrestrial ecosystems worldwide will require >3 million square kilometers of new protected areas and strategies to create those areas in a way that respects local communities and land use. In 2000-2016, biological and social scientists worked to increase the protected proportion of Peru's largest department via 14 interdisciplinary inventories covering >9 million hectares of this megadiverse corner of the Amazon basin. In each landscape, the strategy was the same: convene diverse partners, identify biological and sociocultural assets, document residents' use of natural resources, and tailor the findings to the needs of decision-makers. Nine of the 14 landscapes have since been protected (5.7 million hectares of new protected areas), contributing to a quadrupling of conservation coverage in Loreto (from 6 to 23%). We outline the methods and enabling conditions most crucial for successfully applying similar campaigns elsewhere on Earth.
