Proposed highway in the Peruvian Amazon threatens vulnerable indigenous communities and natural protected areas

Abstract

The conservation of biocultural diversity in the Amazon rainforest has become an international priority in the face of global change. Megadevelopment projects threaten conservation efforts and the rights of Indigenous communities to manage their ancestral lands. We examine the potential impacts of one proposed highway development project in the Peruvian Amazon, the Bellavista-El Estrecho Highway, on local and Indigenous communities and natural protected areas in the region. We found that zones of influence of the proposed highway eclipse 343 Indigenous communities of at least 33 000 Indigenous people of ten distinct cultures, 43 503 km 2 of community land, and 26 210 km 2 of natural protected areas including the entirety of the Maijuna–Kichwa Regional Conservation Area and the unique high terrace ecosystems it holds. Under international and national law in Peru, Indigenous communities who will be affected by megadevelopment projects like this highway must be engaged in prior consultation.

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