Centro de Innovación Científica Amazónica: Alliance for Science and Ecosystem Recovery (CINCIA ACIERTA) Quarterly Report October 1, 2021– December 31, 2021

This report describes ACIERTA activities and results for the period October 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021. Notable achievements during this quarter include the production of a white paper for policymakers, summarizing the environmental impacts of gold mining in Amazonian Rivers. The document was written in response to political activity intended to reverse the current ban on mining in water bodies and was delivered to MINAM and other government stakeholders. CINCIA scientists also concluded field work and reporting for the first study of natural regeneration in ASGM-affected areas in Madre de Dios, establishing 47 botanical plots and identifying over 700 species. CINCIA strengthened collaborative networks in Loreto by creating new partnerships with civil society organizations and reinforcing the existing relationship with the central office of IIAP. The Executive Director and National Director visited Loreto during this quarter, anticipating ACIERTA activities in Loreto beginning in Year 2 of the project. CINCIA's scientific publication activity was also in high gear, with staff co-authoring three new peer-reviewed papers during the quarter, including assessment of the carbon capture potential of CINCIA's initial reforestation method and characterization of fish and macroinvertebrate communities along environmental gradients in MDD. Challenges during this quarter included the Peruvian Congress extending the period for the artisanal and small-scale mining sector to comply with formalization requirements for an additional three years. The Peruvian Congress also called for a new Law for Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining to be written by September 2022, which creates a challenge and an opportunity for CINCIA. Corruption scandals involving regional leaders of both Madre de Dios and Loreto created uncertainty at the highest level of government in both target regions of the ACIERTA project, potentially affecting absorption and application of innovations at the regional level. Major activities planned for the next quarter include field work for a new study of the effects of topsoil retention on the success of reforestation in post-mining Amazonian landscapes. CINCIA's Ecosystem Restoration Program will begin an field work on a groundbreaking new study in FY2022Q2 to characterize the effects of topsoil retention by miners on natural regeneration in highly disturbed post-ASGM sites. ACIERTA's socio-economic research programs will be launched, including a slate of socio-economic research programs to look at the underlying policy-related drivers and bottlenecks that hamper landscape-scale reforestation funding and implementation in Peru's Amazonian regions. Peru faced two major corruption cases of high-level regional public officials in Madre de Dios and Loreto. The High Complexity Investigations Division (DIVIAC) of Peru provided evidence in October 2021 to the Ministry of the Interior to request preventive detention of the Governor of Madre de Dios for allegedly taking bribes to provide logging concessions and transport permits to illegal timber firms. Similar allegations were made against the Governor of Loreto. These corruption scandals created uncertainty at the highest level of government in both target regions of the ACIERTA project, potentially affecting absorption and application of innovations at the regional level. The Peruvian Congress passed Law No. 31388, allowing current ASGM actors an additional three years to conform with existing formalization requirements. This law extends a level of government acceptance of ASGM illegality and creates the expectation of continuing levels of environmental destruction and social conflict for another three years. The Peruvian Congress also called for a new Law for Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining to be written by September 2022, which creates a challenge and an opportunity for CINCIA. CINCIA will finalize its policy impact strategy for engagement with the development of the new Law for Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining. Strengthening of alliances with governmental and civil society actors will continue, and a short list of key technical documents will be identified. CINCIA will also start up field work on a new study to assess ASGM impacts on aquatic ecosystems and ASGM-created wetlands, and hold an expert workshop to identify priorities in these post-mining aquatic environments.