Resilient Puna: Ecosystem-based approaches for sustainable High Andean communities and ecosystems in Peru

The 'Resilient Puna' project aims to protect 120,000 hectares of puna ecosystems in the Southern High Andes of Peru (SHAP) to secure water and livelihoods for approximately 583,000 direct beneficiaries. The initiative focuses on restoring peatlands, wetlands, and grasslands using ancestral techniques like qochas and amunas, while transitioning subsistence farmers toward sustainable agribusinesses. It establishes a 'Puna Facility' to leverage public and private finance, including Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) and carbon credits, to ensure long-term sustainability. The project is led by GIZ and Profonanpe, with strong institutional support from Peru's Ministry of Agricultural Development and Irrigation (MIDAGRI).

• The Southern High Andes of Peru (SHAP) is experiencing significant glacier loss, with Peru having already lost 51% of its glaciers in the last 70 years, which threatens water security for millions of people downstream.
• Puna ecosystems, particularly peatlands, are critical global carbon sinks; Andean peatlands can store between 3,000 and 4,000 tC/ha, but degradation can turn these sinks into sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
• The project targets 120,000 hectares of puna ecosystems for sustainable management, with an estimated mitigation co-benefit of 25.7 Mt CO2eq in avoided emissions.
• High Andean communities face severe socioeconomic vulnerabilities, with 73% of districts in the project priority area registering a low or very low Human Development Index (HDI).
• A 'Puna Facility' will be established under Profonanpe to channel and leverage resources from public programs (such as Agroideas and Sierra Azul) and private sources, including voluntary carbon units and PES schemes.
• The project aims to professionalize the South American camelid fiber value chain, moving producers from subsistence to sustainable agribusinesses through a step-wise support approach.
• The total indicative project cost is EUR 77.33 million, with EUR 36.55 million requested from the Green Climate Fund and EUR 40.78 million in co-financing, including EUR 30 million from the Peruvian government.

APA

Green Climate Fund (2021). Resilient Puna: Ecosystem-based approaches for sustainable High Andean communities and ecosystems in Peru. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/25960-resilient-puna-nature-based-climate-solutions-sustainable-high-andean-communities-and_0.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. Resilient Puna: Ecosystem-based approaches for sustainable High Andean communities and ecosystems in Peru. 2021. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/25960-resilient-puna-nature-based-climate-solutions-sustainable-high-andean-communities-and_0.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=Resilient Puna: Ecosystem-based approaches for sustainable High Andean communities and ecosystems in Peru |date=2 November 2021 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/25960-resilient-puna-nature-based-climate-solutions-sustainable-high-andean-communities-and_0.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2021resilient, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{Resilient Puna: Ecosystem-based approaches for sustainable High Andean communities and ecosystems in Peru}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2021}, month = nov, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/25960-resilient-puna-nature-based-climate-solutions-sustainable-high-andean-communities-and_0.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }