Conservation agreements
Helping protect Peru’s Amazon forests and their residents
Main points
- Targeted interventions: The programme identified and targeted issues including limited technical capacity, weak coordination between national and regional authorities and a lack of standard procedures.
- Clear steps and measurable commitments: A clearer methodology introduced defined stages for designing, implementing, monitoring and reviewing agreements. This made the commitments easier to verify.
- Nine new agreements: Programme support contributed to nine agreements in the region of San Martín, with four more in development. Before, only two such agreements existed nationwide.
- Unlocking funding opportunities: Signing a conservation agreement can help local associations qualify for competitive funding, such as the Entrepreneurs for Nature fund, to support conservation commitments and sustainable economic activities.
- Benefits for all: The agreements strengthen legal certainty for the sustainable use of natural resources, help local organisations access funding and support Peru’s progress towards global conservation commitments.
Regional Conservation Areas help protect Peru’s Amazon forests, support sustainable local development and mitigate climate change. Managing them effectively requires coordination between public bodies, local organisations and other actors in the area.
Regional governments use conservation agreements as a participatory approach to achieve this. With support from the Swiss SECO-funded Subnational Public Finance Management programme, including training, technical assistance and clearer procedures, authorities are making these agreements more practical, measurable and aligned with conservation priorities.
Nine agreements have now been signed and four more are being developed. Together, they strengthen the protection of more than 5,300 hectares of Amazon forest. The experience provides a practical example of how participatory governance can strengthen environmental management at the subnational level and offers a model for other regions.
About this publication
This publication presents insights and lessons learned from over a decade of working with regional and municipal governments in Peru to strengthen public financial management systems and practices under our Programa GFP Subnacional. The programme is funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) through its cooperation programme in Peru.
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Disclaimer: The contents are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Basel Institute on Governance, its donors and partners, or the University of Basel.
Programa GFP Subnacional. 2026. “Conservation agreements: Helping protect Peru’s Amazon forests and their residents”. Basel Institute on Governance. Available at: https:/