Abancay 2024: Reflections and lessons learned from Integrated Landscape Management

The Abancay Landscape is not only an area of great natural wealth, but also a space where collaboration between communities, organisations and public and private actors allows significant progress to be made in the conservation and sustainable management of resources. Each year, this collective effort is reflected in the Annual Co-evaluation Meeting of the Abancay Landscape – Regenera, a key event in which peasant communities, institutional allies and state representatives meet to evaluate progress, identify challenges and plan actions for the future.

Authorities and representatives of the farming communities, institutional partners, and state organisations gathered at the opening of the 2024 Annual Co-evaluation Meeting of the Abancay Landscape.

 

The 2025 edition of this meeting took place on 5 and 6 February in Abancay, with the participation of representatives from the seven farming communities in the landscape: Kiuñalla, Karqueque, Ccollpa, Ccoya, Micaela Bastidas, Atumpata and Llañucancha. Key allies such as CEDES Apurímac and Cáritas Abancay were also present, as well as state organisations such as SERFOR and SERNANP and local and regional authorities.

This meeting was not only an opportunity to review the work carried out in 2024, but also to look ahead and define priorities for 2025.

Listening to improve: the objectives of the meeting

Beyond being an event for taking stock and planning, the annual meeting is a space for open and honest dialogue. Here, the communities play a leading role in expressing their needs, concerns and expectations about the future of the landscape.

The main objectives of the meeting were:

– To socialise the concepts of integrated landscape management and governance, which are fundamental to the work in the territory.

– To carry out a self-assessment of the actions and results of 2024, identifying achievements and areas for improvement.

– To analyse the context and environmental issues, including challenges such as forest fire prevention and water management.

– Define the priority action plan for 2025, with concrete commitments between the actors.

– Approve the incentive competition for the prevention of forest fires, an innovative strategy to reduce fires in the region.

Results and lessons learned: what we did well and what we need to improve

The first day of the meeting focused on evaluating the work done during 2024. Important strengths were identified, such as:

🌱 The strengthening of conservation and restoration actions, with the reforestation of native species such as queñoal (Polylepis spp.) and unca (Myrcianthes oreophyla) in several communities.

🤝 The growing integration of communities within the Abancay Regenera Landscape, strengthening local governance.

🏛️ The active participation of institutions such as SERFOR and SERNANP, which have shown a solid commitment to restoration and conservation in the region.

Community members of the Abancay Landscape sharing their perspectives on environmental management and governance in their territories.

 

However, challenges requiring attention were also identified, such as:

🗣️ The low turnover of community representatives, which limits the participation of new leaders in decision-making processes.

💰 The lack of state funding for key projects, which highlights the importance of continuing to liaise with the government and the private sector.

🔥 The worrying recurrence of waste pollution, which makes it urgent to strengthen community brigades, and raise awareness and educate the population.

Regenera: promoting sustainability with communities

One of the great challenges in landscapes such as Abancay is to ensure constant funding so that communities can continue their conservation actions. This is where Regenera plays a fundamental role.

Through ecological footprint compensation mechanisms, Regenera channels resources from the private sector to rural communities, allowing them to receive economic incentives for their work in ecosystem conservation and restoration. This strategy not only strengthens the resilience of the landscape, but also improves the quality of life of the community members and fosters a mutually beneficial relationship between companies and communities.

At the meeting, the communities expressed their gratitude for this support. In addition, they were able to review the digital tools offered by Regenera to make visible and monitor the income they receive on a monthly basis, ensuring that everyone involved has clear information on how the platform works.

Enrique Zuñiga, Regenera’s Landscape Leader, explains to the communities the platform’s digital tools for making their income tangible and helping to monitor it.

 

Regenera also strengthened its commitment to innovative initiatives such as the incentive competition for the prevention of forest fires, which seeks to reward communities that implement best practices in fire prevention and response.

CEDES: the bridge between communities and institutions

The success of the Abancay Landscape would not be possible without the constant work of CEDES Apurímac, our Landscape Ally. Its role is fundamental in maintaining a direct connection with the communities, ensuring that their voices are heard and that the actions implemented respond to their real needs.

Under the leadership of Augusto Ramírez, CEDES has been a key driving force in the consolidation of the Abancay Landscape as a space for collaborative management, where communities, NGOs, the private sector and the State work together towards the same goal: conservation and sustainable development.

A promising future for the Abancay Landscape

The event closed with a field visit to the Sonccoy-Tacamara forest, where communities shared their experiences in forest and water management. It was an inspiring space, which reaffirmed the commitment of all actors to the conservation and development of the landscape.

A visit to the Sonccoy-Tacamara forest, where communities exchanged experiences on conservation and water management.

 

At Regenera, we are proud of the work that is being done in Abancay. This landscape is an example of how, despite social and economic divides, it is possible to build nature-based solutions that benefit both communities and the environment.

We will continue to strengthen the platform, improve communication and look for new opportunities for more people and companies to join this effort. Because caring for the Abancay Landscape is caring for our future.

💚 Would you like to be part of this change? Find out more about how to support the conservation of the Abancay Landscape with Regenera 👉 www.regenera.earth