Initiative for Conservation in the Andean Amazon ICAA II FY14 Q3 Report

The project seeks to consolidate a bio-cultural corridor and configure a reduced deforestation belt in the region. To achieve this goal, ICAA proposes developing strategies that include generating enabling conditions, creating access to relevant information, and developing conservation portfolios and landscape transformation strategies. The project focuses on two key areas: the Andean-Amazonian Piedmont bio-cultural corridor and the Uitoto and Coreguaje territories in Caquetá's municipality of Solano. The project has four key components: Enabling conditions, Landscape transformation through sustainable management and conservation of natural resources, Local policy transformation, and Capacity building. ICAA aims to support key policy opportunities at the local, state, and national levels and provide the necessary capacity building for communities and project partners. During the third quarter of FY14, ICAA made significant progress in introducing the Community Landscapes (CL) program at the village level. CL visited 8 villages and 3 indigenous reserves, reaching a total of 296 persons and registering 102 families interested in participating in the program. The registered families account for 1839.5 ha of property area, with an estimated additional 1320 ha pending registration. ICAA also enlarged its local team, hiring two new technicians to undertake social and agroecology-related activities. In addition, ICAA worked with INCODER to expand San Miguel and Yurayaco Indigenous Reserves, connecting Yurayaco with PNNAFIW and bringing San Miguel reserve closer to neighboring Inga Reserves. ICAA also hired a consultant/local expert to facilitate CL entrance in Solano, reshaping CL activities to align with local circumstances and providing a preliminary list of potential intervention sites and beneficiary organizations. Furthermore, ICAA worked jointly with Corpoamazonia to further elaborate the tripartite agreement, aiming to strengthen the Protected Areas of the Territory (POTs) from San José del Fragua, Belén de los Andaquíes, and Solano. Although the agreement was not signed due to administrative delays, ICAA moved forward in getting to know the environmental determinants work route to prepare for future activities. ICAA also deployed efforts to achieve organizational and institutional strengthening goals, including the inclusion of a social technician in the local team.