The Marañón Ucayali landscape spans over 17 million hectares across the lower basins of the Marañón and Ucayali rivers in the Loreto region. This vast network of rivers, forests, and wetlands is vital to the ecological health of the Amazon and includes protected areas such as Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, Matsés National Reserve, and the Tamshiyacu Tahuayo Regional Conservation Area.

A landscape of extraordinary biological and cultural diversity

This territory is home to an impressive variety of Amazonian species, many of them emblematic or endangered, such as the pink river dolphin, taricaya turtle, jaguar, red uakari, black uakari, peccary, giant river otter, and a great diversity of migratory catfish. Loreto is also the region with the highest cultural diversity in Peru. Forty-four Indigenous peoples live here, including the Kukama Kukamiria, Bora, Matsés, Yagua, and Capanahua, all with a deep connection to their territories.

Challenges in a threatened territory

The landscape’s biodiversity and ways of life face increasing pressure. Major threats include illegal logging, wildlife trafficking, and overfishing for commercial purposes. Additionally, oil exploration and extraction, illegal gold mining, and the expansion of large-scale palm and cacao plantations cause deforestation, forest degradation, and water pollution. Infrastructure projects planned without environmental criteria pose a growing threat to the integrity of these ecosystems and endanger the resources on which thousands of Amazonian families depend.

Our conservation strategy

WCS coordinates three strategic lines of work to conserve biodiversity and support local well-being in the Marañón Ucayali landscape:

 

1. Watershed-based territorial management: We promote integrated watershed management by coordinating national, regional, and local government actors. We foster an active citizenry that is increasingly aware of the connection between cities and nature and proud of its cultural identity and natural wealth.
2. Sustainable resource management: We work with Indigenous peoples and local communities to strengthen their livelihoods through sustainable use of natural resources. This includes sustainable fishing for food and ornamental purposes, wildlife management to ensure the safe and sustainable consumption of bushmeat, and the management of palm species such as aguaje for pulp and oil production, as well as chambira for artisanal crafts.
3. Protected areas and OECMs: We provide technical assistance to strengthen the effective management of key areas such as Pacaya Samiria National Reserve and Matsés National Reserve. We also support the co-management of the Tamshiyacu Tahuayo Regional Conservation Area within Loreto’s Regional Conservation System, and the management of various OECMs such as conservation concessions run by members of civil society.