Although buoyant economic growth in Peru has generated positive macro-economic figures, this evolution has largely bypassed the remote communities in the Andes, where poverty pockets are widely present. Huamantanga is an example of such a poverty pocket. The main productive activities in Huamantanga are agriculture and cattle-raising for cheese production. The community confirms that these activities are limited because of the lack of water. This is the reason that, in the past, people living in the area developed practices of water infiltration enhancement in the rainy season to improve their water availability, in the springs, during the dry season. These practices are called mamanteo or amunas, and, until today, they are very poorly studied.
The Huamantanga communities are under severe pressure to implement land conservation practices, not only to improve their own livelihoods but also to safeguard ecosystem services for downstream users. The tropical Andes more generally are therefore also an important test-bed for payment for ecosystem services models.
More information: http://www.mtnforum.org/content/living-change-huamantanga-peru-one-research-project-mountain-evos-case-studies
Produced by: CONDESAN with partners
Language: Spanish (English subtitles)
Year: 2015
Region: Andes, Peru
