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Livelihoodvulnerability andSustainability:

Indigenouscommunities inSan Martin, Peru

Ricardo Villanueva

Case study

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San Martin,

Peru

This region is locatedin the northeast ofPeru.It is formed by severalvalleys which arepart of theAmazonian basin.Huallaga and Mayorivers are the largestsystems.

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BASIC FACTS

Altitude: 800 4000 meters

above the sea

Average year temperature: 23 CAverage year precipitation: 1300cubic mm

Habitats:

Mountain forest, subtropical rainforest, lowlands, swamps andamazonian river valleys.

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Problems affecting local communities

Awajun communities in San Martin are settledand concentrated in areas easily accessible byasphalted roads and in cases like Alto Mayo,

Shampuyacu, High and Low Naranjillo haveaccess to basic services like electricity andrunning water.

Local environment has been deteriorated as a

consequence of unplanned human intervention.Different processes that have converged to put understress the natural resources in their areas, includingwater, soil and wildlife.

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Hazards affecting these communities rangefrom weather events exacerbated by global

warming as well as local demographic andeconomic processes such as settlement offarmers from the surrounding highland areas.

A major problem is the pollution of rivers andstreams which supplied fish to the household diet,as well as the depletion of species of wild animalscaused by overhunting.

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Most common land tenure type in the regionare small family holdings and communityshared plots.

Low productivity and poor agriculturalpractices have led to water and soil pollution,

erosion and desertification. Institutionalweaknesses prevent the development ofsustainable natural resource management.

Over recent years as individual households

have gained acces to land titles land leasing isbecoming increasingly attractive. Families andcommunities may rent out land for theproduction of cash crops

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Non sustainable land use

Land leasing and weakeness in effectivemanagement of natural resources lead to

pollution of fresh water pools and furtherexhaustion of soil nutrients. It causes thatafter the cycle of use leasers move to newlocations thus extending soil degradation.

Mechanized farming, agro-industrial, andforest-colonization activities are responsiblefor significant deforestation.

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Forestry Local households are entitled to access forests

through a community forest management model

implemented by local forest cooperatives. But incontrast to other areas of the Peruvian

Amazonian basin where lowland indigenous

communities actually receive access to forest

reserves- deforestation has caused severe

reduction of native forest and secondary woods

have replaced them Therefore agriculture

remains as the major productive activity.

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