Fragile lands in Peru : report to the S&T - LAC fragile lands working group

Section one presents a general discussion of fragile lands (namely, lands that have proven to be highly subject to deterioration under common agricultural, silvicultural, and pastoral use systems and management practices) and defines some key concepts related to fragility (e.g., level of resistance and resilience to natural and manmade perturbations; linkages to adjacent systems; interactions between major regional systems; long-term, sustained yield management). Section two focuses on Peru"s Sierra and Selva regions, outlining the unique needs of each and the relationship between them. Section three outlines the social, economic, and ecological processes that characterize development projects located on fragile lands in Peru. Section four focuses on structural issues which, in the Peruvian context, constrain the resolution of the problems related to fragile lands. Conclusions and recommendations in section five concern areas of convergence between the objectives of USAID/P and present Development Strategies for Fragile Lands (DESFIL) Project being designed by the Working Group.