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Published on Tuesday, August 30, 2016

What are Amazonian National Parks for? Plants and Inhabitants or Industry and Oil?

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What are Amazonian National Parks for? Plants and Inhabitants or Industry and Oil?
Over the past two decades, the Peruvian government has shown their commitment to protect their natural areas. Their 1993 constitution states that the government is obliged “to promote the conservation of biological diversity and protected natural areas”; their 1997 Law of Protected Natural Areas states that extracting natural resources in parks is not permitted; and their regulations on Protected Natural Areas in 2001 states that “the exploitation of natural resources [in protected areas] is prohibited”, and that property and other acquired rights of indigenous peoples must be respected if a new protected natural area is established. In November 2015, the Peruvian government established 1.3 million hectares of land in the western Amazon as a natural protected area, given the name Sierra del Divisor National Park.
 
However, in recent news there has been much debate on how well protected the park will be. The Guardian digs deeper into the issue of zonifcation and strictly protected reserves for “isolated” indigenous peoples within the park’s boundaries. A large issue highlighted in the article is the preferential treatment for natural resource extraction companies whose oil and gas concessions are within the park. It has come as a big surprise that SERNANP, the organization that runs Peru’s protected natural areas, has shown support to the special zonation of areas with oil and gas concessions. Prior to the establishment of the park, SERNANP made the commitment to protect the rights of indigenous peoples living within the park’s boundaries. Now, as their motives are being questioned by indigenous organizations, it is unclear whether SERNANP and the Peruvian government will wholeheartedly support or hinder the protection of Amazonian forests and its indigenous peoples.
 
Industry Threats to the Amazon
 

It should not come as a surprise that the Amazon’s plants, animals and indigenous peoples are constantly put under threat. The western Amazon within Peru’s boarders are no different. Industries that threaten the Sierra del Divisor National Park include logging, gold-mining, coca cultivation and narco-trafficking. However, one of the largest and most powerful threats to the national park is the oil and gas industry. About 40% of the park overlaps with oil and gas concessions controlled by Pacific Exploration and Production, a Canadian-owned company. Companies such as Pacific have gained influence on the zonification of the national park, and SERNANP is proposing “special use zones” in lots where oil and gas concessions have previously been placed.
 
Not only do these “special use zones” compromise the rainforest ecosystem, but also pose a threat to Peru’s indigenous peoples who live in the Amazon. Since the areas within concession are not proposed to become “strictly protected zones” in the government’s “Plano Maestro” (Master Plan), they are subject to resource extraction without the consultation of the Amazon’s indigenous peoples. Here we see where the power struggle lies. SERNANP and the Peruvian government are caught between the international resource extraction industry and its laws to protect the Amazon rainforest and the livelihood of indigenous peoples.

Strictly Protected Zones vs. Special Use Zones
 
In 1998 the Isconahua Reserve was established in order to protect indigenous peoples living in isolation. SERNANP and the Peruvian government have taken this to heart in their Master Plan for the national park. They propose that most of this area (the south-east portion of the park) will become a “strictly protected zone”. However, the southern most part of their reserve is said to become a “special use zone” since it overlaps with Lot 138, an oil and gas concession owned by Pacific up until December 2014. Although the Isconahua Reserve has been established by law, it is now under threat for future oil and gas extraction projects.
 
Park zonification is also becoming a heated debate for proposed reserves for indigenous peoples in isolation. The north-east region of the park has been proposed to be Yavari-Tapiche Reserve, however, any part of it that overlaps with Pacific’s Lot 135 oil and gas concession will be considered a “special use zone” instead of a “strictly protected zone”. The west and north-west region of the park is also within the area proposed for the Sierra del Divisor Occidental Reserve. Although the reserve has been proposed since 2007, it still has not been established. What is also worrisome is that part of the area is proposed to be a “special use zone” since it overlaps with Lot 31-B, an oil and gas concession controlled by the Maple Resources Corporation based in the USA. Not all indigenous groups within the park are receiving the status of “strictly protected zone”, and this is causing concern for indigenous organizations such as ORPIO, AIDESEP and ORAU, and causing concern on the fate of indigenous peoples.
 
With final decisions yet to be made about the zoning of the park, it is difficult to gauge the success rate of the national park as a natural protected area. The Guardian’s news story has raised awareness to some of the issues the park faces and begs a few questions about the park’s establishment: How much does Peru actually benefit by giving special treatment to international resource extraction companies? And how committed are they to protecting their local ecosystems and indigenous peoples? Questions are also being raised on whether funds donated to SERNANP will be used appropriately to protect the Amazon and its indigenous peoples. Will the Andes Amazon Fund (AAF) and the Rainforest Trust have any influence to protect the Amazon and indigenous peoples within the park? Or will they fall short to the economic enticement of resource extraction?
 
We are left with some food for thought until decisions are made with the national park’s zonification, and it comes to a question of our society’s values. All over the world ecosystems and indigenous groups are threatened by resource extraction activities. Society has become heavily reliant on fossil fuels and companies go to great lengths to meet this demand. But the “need” for fossil fuels also comes at a great cost. The Amazon rainforests are being destroyed and its indigenous peoples are having to fight for the rights of their home. Is our high reliance on fossil fuels worth the destruction of the world’s ecosystems and the demise of fellow human beings?
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Author: Ccarrell

Categories: Blogs, Companies, Animals & Wildlife

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