Annual Performance Report – Peru Prevent Activity (SEP 2019-SEP 2020)

This approach includes strengthening the justice system, leveraging science and technology, monitoring and protecting flora and fauna, defining economic costs and incentives, and working with miners to bring them into the formal economic sector. The Prevent Activity is part of the broader USAID/Peru Amazonia Verde Project, aimed at conserving biodiversity, forests, and ecosystem services in priority areas of the Peruvian Amazon. The Prevent Activity's first year of implementation corroborated the urgent need to prevent and combat environmental crimes in the Peruvian Amazon. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of stemming wildlife trafficking to prevent zoonotic transmission of disease in the future. Additionally, the vulnerability of the Amazon rainforest, its resources, and the indigenous and local populations that inhabit it has become evident. Illegal logging and mining continue unabated if not increasing during the pandemic. According to Prevent's Political Economic Analysis (PEA), gold prices in international markets have exceeded US$ 1,900 per ounce (US$ 63 per gram), surpassing the historical record of 2011. As a result, illegal gold miners remain active in Madre de Dios, while legal economic activities have been suspended. Prevent, in partnership with the Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project (MAAP), has identified new illegal mining operations in the areas of Pariamanu and Chaspa, in Madre de Dios. MAAP report #125, developed under Prevent, also detected illegal logging activities during 2020. These events reaffirm Prevent's commitment to combat these illegal activities through support to the Government of Peru and civil society in the promotion of legal and policy initiatives, technological solutions and innovation, and solid partnerships with the private sector and local stakeholders. The importance of continuing actions against illicit activities became further evident this year. The MAAP # 121 report, produced by Prevent, documented a 92% reduction in deforestation due to illegal mining in the area of La Pampa a year after Operation Mercury was implemented. Collaboration between Prevent and MAAP has also enabled the sharing of important information and methodologies to identify illegal logging through the detection of forest roads and the use of high-resolution satellite images. These data were used to inform policy and decision-making, and to support the development of effective strategies to combat environmental crimes. The Prevent Activity will continue to work with the Government of Peru and civil society to address the root causes of environmental crimes and to promote sustainable development in the Peruvian Amazon. The Prevent Activity has made significant progress in its first year of implementation, including the development of a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan, the establishment of a robust information management system, and the implementation of a range of activities to support the Government of Peru and civil society in their efforts to combat environmental crimes. The Activity has also established partnerships with a range of stakeholders, including the private sector, local communities, and civil society organizations, to support the development of effective strategies to combat environmental crimes. The Prevent Activity's work has been guided by a range of indicators and metrics, including the number of environmental crimes reported and prosecuted, the amount of forest area protected, and the number of communities engaged in sustainable forest management practices. The Activity has also used a range of tools and methodologies, including geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and social network analysis, to support its work and to inform policy and decision-making. The Prevent Activity will continue to work with the Government of Peru and civil society to address the root causes of environmental crimes and to promote sustainable development in the Peruvian Amazon. The Activity will also continue to support the development of effective strategies to combat environmental crimes, including the use of science and technology, the promotion of sustainable forest management practices, and the engagement of local communities in conservation efforts.