Peru

MAAP #20: New Airstrip in Coca-growing Area within Bahuaja Sonene National Park (Puno, Peru)

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MAAP #10 detailed the extensive deforestation between 2000 and 2014 (538 hectares or 1,329 acres) in the Colorado sector of Bahuaja Sonene National Park, an important protected area in the southern Peruvian Amazon. Additionally, we described how this sector has a high density of coca plantations, one of the main drivers of the observed deforestation. Coca has many traditional uses in Andean cultures, but is also used to produce cocaine.

Here in MAAP #20, we show that in 2015 the deforestation has continued in this sector of the park. Moreover, as seen in Image 20a, we detected the construction of a new airstrip in a nearby remote area part of the park that is likely being used for transporting coca.

Image 21a. High-resolution view of the area designated for a landing strip, inside Bahuaja Sonene National Park. See Zoom A in Image 21c for context. Data: WorldView-2 of Digital Globe (NextView).
Image 20a. High-resolution view of the area designated for a landing strip, inside Bahuaja Sonene National Park. See Zoom A in Image 20c for context. Data: WorldView-2 of Digital Globe (NextView).

Airstrip

Image 20a shows a high-resolution (0.5 m) image of the new airstrip, which is 580 meters long and 8 meters wide (in addition, see Zoom A in Image 20c for context). It is characteristic of an airstrip designed for a single-engine plane.  As seen in Image 20b, the airstrip was constructed between May and June 2015. In addition, Image 20c, shows that the airstrip is located within the zones of strict and wildlife protection. It appears that a previous airstrip was constructed in this same area in 2013, but became overgrown 2014. It is worth noting that there are no native communities in this area.

Image 21b. Comparison of these two Landsat images from 2015 shows the area that has been designated as an airplane landing strip. Data: USGS.
Image 20b. Comparison of these two Landsat images from 2015 shows the area that has been designated as an airplane landing strip. Data: USGS.

Reference Map

Image 20c shows the reference map for this article. It shows the Colorado sector of Bahuaja Sonene National Park. Zoom A corresponds to the airstrip described above, while Zoom B corresponds to the new deforestation analysis described below.

Image 21c. Deforestation detected inside the Colorado zone of Bahuaja Sonene National Park. Data: SERNANP, MINAM/PNCB, CLASlite, USGS, WCS.
Image 20c. Deforestation detected inside the Colorado zone of Bahuaja Sonene National Park. Data: SERNANP, MINAM/PNCB, CLASlite, USGS, WCS.

New Deforested Areas associated with Coca Cultivation

Image 20d shows a comparison of two high-resolution images showing the deforestation of 40 hectares (99 acres) between October 2014 (left panel) and October 2015 (right panel). The yellow dashed circles indicate the newly deforested areas, which are near previous coca plantations. In addition, Image 20c shows that these newly deforested areas are located within the zones of strict and wildlife protection.

Imagen 20d. Zoom “B” mostrando nuevas áreas deforestadas en dos imágenes de alta resolución. Fuentes: SPOT, WorldView-2 de Digital Globe (NextView).
Image 20d. Zoom “B” shows newly deforested areas in two high-resolution images. Data: SPOT, WorldView-2 of Digital Globe (NextView).

Citation

Novoa S, Finer M (2015) New Airstrip in Coca-growing Area within Bahuaja Sonene National Park (Puno, Peru). MAAP: 20.

MAAP #19: Gold Mining Deforestation Advancing along Upper Malinowski River (Madre de Dios, Peru)

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In MAAP #5, we described the intensifying deforestation along the Upper Malinowski River in the department of Madre de Dios, Peru. Here in MAAP #19, we update this information and confirm that the deforestation continues at a rapid pace. This finding is based on analysis of three high-resolution images between September 2014 and November 2015. As described below, we document the deforestation of 392 hectares (969 acres) between September 2014 and November 2015 due to gold mining along the Upper Malinowki River.

Image 19a. Gold mining deforestation between September 2014 and 2015 along Upper Malinowski. Data: SERNANP, WorldView-2 from Digital Globe (NextView).
Image 19a. Gold mining deforestation between September 2014 and 2015 along Upper Malinowski. Data: SERNANP, WorldView-2 from Digital Globe (NextView).

Image 19a shows a comparison of two high resolution (0.5 m) images taken one year apart over the same area along the Upper Malinowski River (left panel is from September 2014, while the right panel is from September 2015). Comparison analysis of these images reveals two primary findings. First, deforestation is rapidly spreading upstream along the Upper Malinowski and its tributaries.

Second, this deforestation is nearing the border of the Bahuaja Sonene National Park boundary (see Image 19b).

Image 19b. Zoom de la deforestación de minería aurífera cerca el Parque Nacional Bahuaja Sonene (ver Cuadro A en Imagen 19a por el contexto). Datos: SERNANP, WorldView-2 de Digital Globe (NextView).
Image 19b. Zoom of gold mining deforestation near the Bahuaja Sonene National Park. Data: SERNANP, WorldView-2 from Digital Globe (NextView).

Deforestation Analysis

Image 19c is a detailed deforestation analysis between the two images. We documented the deforestation of 352 hectares (870 acres) due to gold mining activities between September 2014 and September 2015 along the Upper Malinowski (note: this calculation covers the area displayed in Image 19a).

Image 19c. Deforestation analysis between September and November 2015 along the Upper Malinowski. Data: CLASlite, SERNANP, WorldView-2 from Digital Globe (NextView).
Image 19c. Deforestation analysis between September and November 2015 along the Upper Malinowski. Data: CLASlite, SERNANP, WorldView-2 from Digital Globe (NextView).

During preparation of this article, a new high resolution image over the same area from November 2015 became available. As an indication of how rapidly the gold mining is advancing, we documented an additional deforestation of 40 hectares (99 acres) between September and November 2015.

Thus, we documented a total deforestation of 392 hectares (969 acres) between September 2014 and November 2015 along the Upper Malinowki.

Two Gold Mining Deforestation Fronts

The Upper Malinowki is just west (and upstream) of the mining zone known as La Pampa featured in MAAP articles #1, #12, and #17. These currently appear to be the two major gold mining deforestation fronts in Madre de Dios. Image 19b illustrates the general location of these two areas (“C” indicates La Pampa and “D” indicates the Upper Malinowski). Note that La Pampa is within the buffer zone of the Tambopata National Reserve and the Upper Malinowski is within the buffer zone of the Bahuaja Sonene National Park.

Imagen 19d. Fuentes:
Imagen 19d. General location of the Alto Malinowski (“D”) and La Pampa (“C”). Data: CLASlite, MINAM, SERNANP, ACCA, Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, USGS.

Citation

Finer M, Snelgrove C (2015) Gold Mining Deforestation Rapidly Advancing along Upper Malinowski River (Madre de Dios, Peru). MAAP: 19.

Mining News Watch #18

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Mining News Watch #18 covers the time period July 31st- October 31, 2015

Top Stories 

  • There have been three police raids in Madre de Dios this summer in an attempt to stop illegal gold mining in the region.

  • The Amazon Conservation Association released high-resolution images showing the intensity of illegal gold mining in La Pampa, Madre de Dios.

Government Action

  • In August, a raid against illegal mining occurred in the Santiago Pampa zone in Sandia, Puno. District attorneys specializing in environmental issues worked in coordination with the National Police to locate and destroy the settlement. The District attorneys confirmed that the water used to wash the ore was not treated before entering the River, resulting in contamination by heavy metals. [1]
  • In the beginning of September, a government operation against illegal mining was carried out in Tambopata, Madre de Dios. During the intervention, two people were detained, dozens of pieces of machinery were destroyed, and 250 milliliters of mercury were confiscated. An official from the Presidential Council of Ministers (PCM) stated that they will intensify actions to achieve the eradication of illegal mining in Madre de Dios, particularly in the buffer zone of the Tambopata National Reserve. [2] So far this summer, there have been three significant raids in Peru combatting illegal mining settlements. However, illegal mining camps are often rebuilt in the same area almost as soon as the government intervention has ended.[3]
  • 1,300 police agents broke into 40 illegal mining camps in La Pampa and detained 41 miners. These camps had been destroyed after the raid in July, but were quickly resettled by miners.[4]
  • Over the next 3 years, SERNANP will be investing four million soles to protect three natural protected areas (the Tambopata National Reserve, the Bahuaja Sonene National Park, and the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve) from the threat of illegal mining. This includes installing patrol posts, hiring forest rangers, and buying boats. There are currently only 34 forest rangers in the Tambopata National Reserve, 13 in the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve, and 12 in the Bahuaja Sonene National Park.[5] Shortly after ACA released images depicting illegal mining in the buffer zone of the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve, SERNANP also announced that they will be fortifying security actions specifically in the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve. This includes increased funds for aerial patrols and a shelter for personnel to spend the night. [6]
  • In October, there was a strike in Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, to express disagreement and ask for the repeal of legislative decrees issued by the central government to control the purchase and sale of fuels as one of the measures to combat illegal mining. The strike consisted of 300 protestors, mostly those that work in public transportation, and lasted for 48 hours.[7]
  • Four men have been found guilty of illegal mining activities, and have been sent to 6 months in preventive prison for contaminating the Huacamayo ravine, located in Inambari, Madre de Dios. [9]
  • The Minister of the Interior has approved three resolutions to amplify the intervention of the Armed Forces in Arequipa, Puno, Madre de Dios, and Junín for one month, in response to the possibility of violent protests linked to illegal mining. [10]

Deforestation

  • The Amazon Conservation Association released images on their Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project (MAAP) website depicting high-resolution views of illegal gold mining in La Pampa, Madre de Dios. La Pampa is found inside the buffer zone of the Tambopata National Reserve. 725 hectares of land were deforested from August 2014 to July 2015, and 225 hectares of land were deforested from February 2015 to July 2015.[11]

International

  • Peru and Bolivia worked together at their shared border to capture 21 illegal miners in September. Illegal miners in Peru use the Madre de Dios River to cross into Bolivia; Special Forces were ready to detain miners on both sides of the border. [12]
  • The Swiss government has arranged a purchase of gold from small-scale formal miners in Puno. The Better Gold Initiative is assisting the Swiss government to work with formal mining cooperatives and incentivize the formalization process in the region. [13]
  • A report by Public Eye (Ojo-Publico) investigated two Swiss-based companies, MKS and Metalor, which have been linked to buying gold from illegal mines in Peru. In response, the Public Minister of Peru is asking for international judicial aid from the Swiss government to allow the Peruvian government to interrogate representatives from each company.[14]

Economy

  • According to a report by the Peruvian Economy Institute (IPE), Madre de Dios region had significant economic growth in the second trimester of 2015, with a growth rate of 29.7%. In comparison, Madre de Dios had an economic growth rate of only 2.4% in the first trimester of 2015. In the report released by the IPE, the significant economic growth correlates with less intense government action against illegal mining, allowing for the recovery of gold production.[15]
  • An investigation by the Superintendent of Banks and Insurance estimates that 947 million USD is laundered in order to support illegal gold mining operations, which accounts for at least 5% of the 140 tons of gold produced in Peru in 2014.[16]
  • In September, the 32nd annual Perumin Mining Convention will be held in Arequipa, and the issue of the formalization of artisanal miners will be discussed. Discussions will also cover the changing price of gold and its relation to the number of informal miners in the country. The Federation of Artisanal Miners of Arequipa (FEMAR) and a panel of specialists will be there to discuss the problem of illegal mining. [17]

Other

  • The Peruvian Society for Environmental Rights (SPDA) released an investigation of illegal gold mining in five South American countries titled “The routes of illegal gold. Case studies in five Amazon countries.” The Peruvian section analyzes the politics around resource access and the sprawl of illegal mining territory; particularly, the fact that from 2000 to 2009, there were 1,548 requests for mining rights in Peru, surpassing all other land rights requests. [18]
  • Two officers died and three collapsed during an operation against illegal mining in Madre de Dios. The officers suffered from dehydration due to the intense heat, and an investigation is being conducted by the Ombudsman to see if there was any negligence. [19] [20]
  • The declaration of mining activity in the Condor mountain range has created conflict with the Awajún-wampis community in the Amazon region. They have not permitted the development of mining camps in the headwaters of their water source and that plans were made behind their backs, violating the law. The Awajun-wampis also warned that they are organizing a large assembly in the Shaim community to determine how to defend the Condor mountain range, including the formation of the Ichigkat Muja National Park. [21]

 

Notes: The ACA Mining News Watch focuses mostly on issues pertaining to the Peruvian Amazon and may not cover issues related to non-Amazonian parts of the country. We would like to credit ProNaturaleza’s “Observatorio Amazonia” as our primary resource for articles related to illegal mining in Peru.

Photo Credit: http://elcomercio.pe/peru/madre-de-dios/operacion-contra-mineria-ilegal-pampa-fotos-noticia-1826310/3

ACA contact for Comments/Questions:  Sarah Feder (sfeder@amazonconservation.org) and Matt Finer (mfiner@amazonconservation.org)

Citation: DeRycke E, Feder S, Finer M (2015). Peru Mining News Watch Report #18. Amazon Conservation Association. https://www.maapprogram.org/2015/08/mining-news-watch-18

 

MAAP #18: Proliferation of Logging Roads in the Peruvian Amazon

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MAAP articles #3 and #15 detailed the construction of several new logging roads in the central Peruvian Amazon. Here in MAAP 18, we provide a more comprehensive analysis of the proliferation of logging roads in this section of the Amazon. In Image 18a, we show a high resolution example of a new logging road in this area with active construction during 2015 (see Inset A1 in Image 18c for more context).

new18a v2
Image 18a. New logging road in the Peruvian Amazon. Data: WorldView-2 of Digital Globe (NextView).

Image 18b illustrates the location of all identified logging roads in the central Peruvian Amazon (southern Loreto and northern Ucayali). Most of these roads are located along the Ucayali River and its headwater tributaries. The left panel highlights just the logging roads, while the right panel also includes protected areas, native communities, and logging concessions.

Image 18b. Logging roads in the central Peruvian Amazon. Data: SERNANP, IBC, USGS, MINAGRI.
Image 18b. Logging roads in the central Peruvian Amazon. Data: SERNANP, IBC, USGS, MINAGRI.

In Image 18b, we documented the construction of 1,134 km of logging roads between 2013 and 2015 in the central Peruvian Amazon. Of this total, 538 km is in the matrix of logging concessions and native communities in southern Ucayali, 226.1 km is in undesiganted areas in southern Loreto, 210 km is in the buffer zone of Cordillera Azul National Park, and 159 km is around the new Sierra del Divisor National Park.

Note that the buffer zone of Cordillera Azul National Park and surroundings of Sierra del Divisor National Park contain logging concessions and native communities, thus the responsibility of forest authority is the regional government.

Determining the legality of these roads is complex. As the right panel highlights, many of these roads are near logging concessions and native communities, whom may have obtained the rights for logging from the relevant forestry authority (in many cases, the regional government).

Below, we focus on the logging roads in the northern section of Image 18b (see Inset A).

Zoom A: Logging Roads in Southern Loreto/Northern Ucayali

Image 18c. Logging roads in southern Loreto/northern Ucayali. Data: SERNANP, IBC, USGS, MINAGRI.
Image 18c. Logging roads in southern Loreto/northern Ucayali. Data: SERNANP, IBC, USGS, MINAGRI.

Image 18c is a zoom of the logging roads shown in the northern section of Image 18a (Inset A), located in southern Loreto and northern Ucayali. It shows five primary areas of interest. Both Insets A1 and A2 correspond to new roads within the southeast buffer zone of the Cordillera Azul National Park with active construction in 2015 (see below for more details).

Insets A3, A4, and A5 correspond to roads with active construction between 2013 and 2015 that have already been featured on MAAP. Inset 3 includes a logging road in the northeast sector of the buffer zone of Cordillera Azul National Park (see MAAP #3 for more details). Insets 3 and 5 show logging roads around the new Sierra del Divisor National Park (see MAAP #15 and MAAP #7 for more details).

Zoom A1: Logging Roads in Nuevo Irazola

Image 18d provides more details about a new logging road with very recent construction within the southeast buffer zone of Cordillera Azul National Park (See Inset A1 in Image 18C for context). This road has grown 68 km between 2013 and 2015, with more than half of this construction occurring over the past year. According to information obtained from the forestry department within the Regional Government of Ucayali (PRMRFFS), the native community of Nuevo Irazola made a logging permission request for industrial and/or commercial use and prepared an Annual Operating Plan. However, a high-resolution (0.5 m) image shows a recent stretch of the road exceeds the area requested for forestry activities (see Image 18d).

MAAP_Ucayali_roads_18c_vALYSSA
Image 18d. High-resolution image of a new forest road in the southeast buffer zone of Cordillera Azul National Park. Data: WorldView-2 of Digital Globe (NextView).

Zoom A2: Rapid Expansion of a Logging Road

Image 18e. Rapid construction of a forest road in the southeast buffer zone of Cordillera Azul National Park. Data: USGS.
Image 18e. Time series of a forest road in the southeast buffer zone of Cordillera Azul National Park. Data: USGS.

Image 18e illustrates the rapid expansion of another forest road located in the southeast section of the Cordillera Azul National Park buffer zone (See Inset A2 in Image 18C for context). We documented the construction of 29.1 km during the six weeks between September 10 (left panel) and October 20 (right panel), a rate of nearly five kilometers per week. The legality of this road is currently unknown, but note that it is extending in the direction of a forestry concession.

Citation

Novoa S, Fuentes MT, Finer M, Pena N, Julca J (2015) Proliferation of Logging Roads in the Peruvian Amazon. MAAP #18.

Note: MAAP #18 is a collaborative effort between Amazon Conservation Association (ACA), Conservación Amazónica (ACCA), and the Centro de Conservación Investigación y Manejo de Áreas Naturales (CIMA).

MAAP 17: Birth of a New Illegal Gold Mining Zone in the Peruvian Amazon [High Resolution View]

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In MAAP #12, we featured a high resolution image from July 29, 2015 of the area known as “La Pampa,” a hotspot of illegal mining in the buffer zone of the Tambopata National Reserve (Madre de Dios region, Peru).

Just seven weeks later, we obtained a new high resolution image of La Pampa for September 16, 2015. Image 17a shows the birth of a new gold mining zone between the July image (left panel) and September image (right panel) (see the letter “A” in Image 17b for context). The current extent of this new clearing is 1.5 hectares. This mining activity is illegal since it is located within the buffer zone of the Tambopata National Reserve.

La Pampa 20150916_ZoomA_horizontalV3

Reference Map

Image 17b is the reference map, showing the forest cover change between July (left panel) and September (right panel) 2015. In the right panel, the letter “A” corresponds to Image 17a, while the letter “B” corresponds to Image 17c.

Image 17b. Reference map. Data: WorldView Digital Globe (NextView).
Image 17b. Reference map. Data: WorldView Digital Globe (NextView).

Expanding Deforestation

Image 17c shows the deforestation expanding to the west between July (left panel) and September (right panel) 2015.

La Pampa 20150916_ZoomB_english
Image 17c. Deforestation expanding to the west between July and September 2015. Data: WorldView Digital Globe (NextView).

Citation

Finer M, Olexy T (2015) High Resolution View: Birth of a New Illegal Mining Zone. MAAP #17.

 

MAAP #16: Oil Palm-driven Deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon (Part 2: Shanusi)

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In MAAP #4 we described the major deforestation caused by two new large-scale oil palm projects in the central Peruvian Amazon (Nueva Requena, Ucayali region).

Here in MAAP #16, we describe the major deforestation related to two other oil palm projects, Palmas del Shanusi and Palmas del Oriente, in the northern Peruvian Amazon (regions Loreto and San Martin). These projects (operated by Grupo Palmas, an agriculture company owned by Grupo Romero) cover 10,029 hectares.

MAAP_Shanusi_16a_v3_en
Image 16a. Deforestation within and around the two large-scale oil palm projects Palmas del Shanusi and Oriente. Data: PNCB, USGS, Grupo Palmas.

Image 16a shows the extensive forest clearing within and around Palmas del Shanusi and Oriente. The 2000-2014 forest loss data comes from the Peruvian government (PNCB-MINAM/SERFOR-MINAGRI) and the 2015 data comes from our analysis of Landsat imagery using CLASlite forest monitoring software.

Within the two projects, we documented that Grupo Palmas cleared 6,974 hectares of primary forest between 2006 and 2011 (see Images 16a and 16). This represents 70% of the projects’ area (Peruvian law requires the conservation of 30% of an agricultural project area’s forest cover). Thus, a key issue is that the Peruvian legal framework, under certain conditions, allows the clearing of thousands of hectares of primary forest for large-scale agriculuture projects (see the report Deforestation by Definition by the Environmental Investigation Agency for more details).

We defined primary forest as an area characterized by dense, closed-canopy coverage from the earliest available Landsat image (in this case 1994) until immediately prior to plantation installation.

Importantly, we also documented the clearing of an additional 9,840 hectares of primary forest immediately surrounding the projects (see Images 16a and 16b). There was clearing of more than a thousand hectares each year between 2010 and 2013, followed by another thousand hectares between 2014 and 2015. Analysis of high-resolution imagery confirms that much of this additional clearing resulted in large-scale model oil palm plantations.

In total, we documented the clearing of over 16,800 hectares of primary forest for large-scale oil palm plantations within and around Palmas del Shanusi and Oriente. It is important to note that there has now been more forest clearing outside than inside the original projects, an important lesson for other new agricultural areas such as Tamshiyacu.

MAAP_Shanusi_16d_v2_en
Image 16b. Primary forest cleared within and around Grupo Palmas projects.

High Resolution Zooms

Following is a series of high resolution zooms showing examples of forest clearing within and around Palmas del Shanusi and Oriente. Image 16c is the reference map indicating the location of the various zooms (Images 16d – 16g). Zooms 16d and 16e show the same area before (left panel) and after (right panel) forest clearing. Zooms 16f and 16g show areas of recent forest clearing.

MAAP_Shanusi_16b_v4_en
Image 16c. Reference Map. Data: USGS.
MAAP_Shanusi_16c_a_v4_m_en
Image 16d. High-resolution zoom A; deforestation outside the Grupo Palmas project. Data: Google Earth, WorldView-2 from Digital Globe (NextView).
MAAP_Shanusi_16c_b_v3_m_en
Image 16e. High-resolution zoom B; forest clearing within the Grupo Palmas project. Data: Google Earth, WorldView-2 from Digital Globe (NextView).
MAAP_Shanusi_16c_v2_c3_e
Image 16f. High-resolution zoom C. Data: Google Earth, WorldView-2 from Digital Globe (NextView).
MAAP_Shanusi_16c_v2_d2_e
Image 16g. High-resolution zoom D. Data: Google Earth, WorldView-2 from Digital Globe (NextView).

References

This work builds off of information presented in the following publication: Environmental Investigation Agency. Deforestation by Definition. 2015. Washington, DC. Link: http://eia-global.org/news-media/deforestation-by-definition

Citation

Finer M, Novoa S (2015) Oil Palm-driven Deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon (Part 2: Shanusi) MAAP: Image #16. Link: https://www.maapprogram.org/2015/10/image16-shanusi/

MAAP Synthesis #1: Patterns and Drivers of Deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon

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We present a preliminary analysis of current patterns and drivers of deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon. This analysis is largely based on the first 15 articles published on MAAP between April and September 2015, but also incorporates information from other relevant sources. We describe this analysis as preliminary because as MAAP research continues, we will be able to improve and refine our synthesis in subsequent editions.

MAAP_Synthe_Sa_v4_en
Image S1a. Recent patterns and drivers of deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon. Numbers indicate relevant MAAP article. Data: SERNANP, IBC, MINAM-PNCB/MINAGRI-SERFOR, MAAP.

Introduction & Summary of Key Results

Image S1a illustrates recent (2000 – 2013) patterns of deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon based on data from the Peruvian Ministries of Environment[i] and Agriculture[ii]. These two Ministries have documented a total forest loss of around 1.65 million hectares (ha) in the Peruvian Amazon between 2001 and 2014, with an increasing trend in recent years (2014 had the highest forest loss on record with 177,571 ha)[iii],[iv]. Another recent report by the Peruvian government stated that the majority (75%) of the Amazonian deforestation is due to small-scale clearings related to agriculture and livestock activities, usually near roads or rivers[v].

Building off of that historical and annual information, our goal at MAAP is to monitor deforestation in near real-time. Since April 2015, we have published numerous articles analyzing areas in the northern, central, and southern Peruvian Amazon. In this initial analysis, we have found that three of the most important drivers of deforestation are large-scale oil palm (and cacao) plantations, gold mining, and coca cultivation. We also found a growing network of logging roads that contribute to forest degradation. Image S1a displays the general geographic distribution of these drivers of deforestation and degradation.

We estimate that around 30,000 hectares of primary forest was cleared since 2000 for large-scale oil palm and cacao plantations. Cacao has recently joined oil palm as a deforestation driver due to the arrival of the company United Cacao and their implementation of the large-scale agro-industrial model in place of traditional small-scale plantations on previously degraded lands.

Gold mining has directly caused the deforestation of over 43,000 ha since 2000, mostly in the region of Madre de Dios. In recent years, this deforestation has been concentrated in the Tambopata National Reserve buffer zone.

Although coca cultivation is reportedly declining in Peru, we found that it remains a major driver of deforestation, particularly within and around remote protected areas. For example, we documented 143 ha of coca related deforestation within the Sierra del Divisor Reserved Zone, and an additional 2,638 ha related to shifting agricultural cultivation, which includes coca, within and around Bahuaja Sonene National Park.

We also documented a recent expansion of logging roads in the central Peruvian Amazon. This finding is significant because it is difficult to detect selective logging in satellite imagery, but now we can at least detect the roads that indicate that selective logging is taking place in a given area.

We identified some important geographic patterns related to the four drivers described above. For example, large-scale oil palm (and cacao) are concentrated in the northern Peruvian Amazon, while gold mining deforestation has largely been in the south. Coca-driven deforestation appears to be particularly problematic in the southern Peruvian Amazon, but also exists in the north. The construction of new logging roads is currently most active in the central Peruvian Amazon.

The documented deforestation is caused by both illegal and legal means. For the former, there is extensive deforestation from illegal gold mining and coca cultivation. Regarding the latter, oil palm and cacao companies are exploiting loopholes in the Peruvian legal framework that facilitate large-scale deforestation for agricultural projects.

Large-scale Agriculture (Oil Palm and Cacao)

MAAP_Synthe_Sb_v4_en
Image S1b. Large-scale agriculture deforestation in the northern Peruvian Amazon. Numbers indicate relevant MAAP article. Data: SERNANP, IBC, MINAM-PNCB/MINAGRI-SERFOR, MAAP.

Image S1b illustrates that large-scale agriculture (namely oil palm and cacao) is an important cause of deforestation in northern Peru.

Importantly, several oil palm and cacao companies are changing the production model in Peru from small-scale to large-scale agro-industrial. For example, in a recent interview, United Cacao CEO Dennis Melka stated that his company is trying to replicate the agro-industrial model used by oil palm companies in Southeast Asia[vi].

This shift is noteworthy because large-scale plantations usually come at the expense of forests, while small-scale plantations are better able to take advantage of previously cleared lands[vii]. We estimate that over 30,000 hectares of primary forest was cleared since 2000 for large-scale oil palm and cacao plantations (see below). Much less primary forest, around 575 ha, was cleared for small-scale oil palm (we have yet to evaluate small-scale cacao).

Note that we emphasize the clearing of primary forest. We conducted an additional analysis to determine whether oil palm (both small and large-scale) and cacao (just large-scale) plantations were originally sited on lands with primary forest, secondary forest, or already deforested. We defined primary forest as an area that from the earliest available Landsat, in this case 1990, was characterized by dense closed canopy forest cover.

The following is a concise breakdown of how we calculated the 30,000 ha of primary forest loss from large-scale plantations.

MAAP articles #2, #9, and #13 demonstrated that 2,276 ha of primary forest was cleared by United Cacao between May 2013 and September 2015 outside of the town of Tamshiyacu in the northern Peruvian Amazon (Loreto region).

MAAP article #4 detailed the deforestation of 9,400 ha of primary forest (plus an additional 2,350 ha of secondary forest) between 2011 and 2015 for two large-scale oil palm projects near the town of Nueva Requena in the central Peruvian Amazon (Department of Ucayali).

In addition, yet unpublished MAAP analysis shows that in Palmas de Shanusi/Oriente (oil palm projects operated by the company Grupo Palmas), 6,974 ha of primary forest were cleared between 2006 and 2011, although the legally mandated 30% forest cover reserves were maintained. An additional 8,225 ha of primary forest was cleared in areas immediately surrounding the concessions.

Finally, although not yet published on MAAP, we also documented nearly 3,500 ha of primary forest loss in other large-scale oil palm projects in San Martin and Ucayali regions.

It is important to emphasize that several oil palm and cacao companies are exploiting various loopholes in the Peruvian legal framework that facilitate large-scale deforestation for agricultural projects[viii]. In fact, these companies argue that according to Peruvian law, they are engaged in legal “forest clearing”, not illegal “deforestation”[ix].

Gold Mining

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Image S1c. Gold mining deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon. Numbers indicate relevant MAAP article. Data: SERNANP, IBC, MINAM-PNCB/MINAGRI-SERFOR, MAAP.

Image S1c illustrates that gold mining-driven deforestation is largely concentrated in the southern Peruvian Amazon, particularly in the region of Madre de Dios and adjacent Cusco.

According to the scientific literature, gold mining deforestation in Madre de Dios increased from 10,000 ha in 2000 to 50,000 ha in 2012[x]. MAAP articles #1, #5, and #12 documented the deforestation of an additional 2,774 ha between 2013 and 2015 in two gold mining hotspots (La Pampa and Upper Malinowski), both of which are located within the buffer zone of the Tambopata National Reserve. In addition, MAAP #6 showed gold mining deforestation expanding from another Madre de Dios gold mining hotspot (Huepetuhe) into the tip of Amarakaeri Communal Reserve (11 ha).

Much of the Madre de Dios gold mining deforestation described above is illegal because it is occurring within and around protected areas where mining is not permitted under the government-led formalization process.

MAAP articles #6 and #14 detailed recent gold mining deforestation in the region of Cusco. Specifically, we documented the deforestation of 967 ha along the Nuciniscato River and its major tributaries since 2000 (with the vast majority occurring since 2010). Much of this deforestation appears to be linked to gold mining.

Thus, the total documented gold mining deforestation in Madre de Dios and adjacent Cusco is at least 53,750 ha[xi], over 80% of which has occurred since 2000. This total is an underestimate since we have not yet done detailed studies for 2013 – 2015 deforestation in all of the known gold mining zones in these two regions.

In addition, MAAP #7 showed two gold mining zones in the region of Ucayali (along the Sheshea and Abujao Rivers, respectively). Much of this deforestation occurred between 2000 and 2012.

Finally, there are also reports of extensive gold mining in northern Peru (the regions of Amazonas and Loreto) but we do not yet have data showing that it is causing deforestation.

Coca

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Image S1d. Coca cultivation areas in the Peruvian Amazon. Numbers indicate relevant MAAP article. Data: UNODC 2014, MINAM-PNCB/MINAGRI-SERFOR, SERNANP, NatureServe.

Although the most recent report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) indicates that overall coca cultivation is declining in Peru[xii], our research finds that it remains a major driver of deforestation in certain areas, particularly within and around several remote protected areas.

Image S1d displays the distribution of current coca-cultivation areas (in relation to protected areas) based on the data from the latest United Nations report. Of these areas, we have thus far focused on the three detailed below.

MAAP articles #7 and #8 show recent coca-related deforestation within the southern section of the Sierra del Divisor Reserved Zone. This area is particularly important because it is soon slated to be upgraded to a national park. Specifically, we documented coca-related deforestation of 130 ha between 2013 and 2014 within the southwestern section of the reserve, and, most recently, a new plantation of 13 ha during June 2015 within the southeast section.

MAAP article #10 revealed that shifting agricultural cultivation, that includes coca, is also a major issue within and around Bahuaja Sonene National Park, located in the southern Peruvian Amazon. Specifically, we found the recent deforestation of 538 hectares within the southern section of the Park, and an additional 2,100 hectares in the surrounding buffer zone. Much of this deforestation is likely linked to coca cultivation since the latest United Nations report indicates these areas contain high coca plantation densities.

MAAP article #14 documents the deforestation of 477 ha along the Nojonunta River in Cusco since 2000 (with a major peak since 2010). Much of this deforestation is likely linked to coca cultivation since the latest United Nations report indicates these areas contain medium to high coca plantation densities. 

Logging Roads

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Image S1e. Logging roads in the Peruvian Amazon. Numbers indicate relevant MAAP article. Data: SERNANP, IBC, MINAM-PNCB/MINAGRI-SERFOR, MINAGRI, MAAP.

One of the major advances discovered in this work is the ability to identify the expansion of new logging roads. This advance is important because it is extremely difficult to detect illegal logging in satellite imagery because loggers in the Amazon often selectively cut high value species and do not produce large clearings. But now, although it remains difficult to detect the actual selective logging, we can detect the roads that indicate that selective logging is taking place in that area.

Image S1e illustrates the likely logging roads that we have recently detected. Of these areas, we have thus far focused on the two detailed below.

MAAP article #3 shows the rapid proliferation of two new road networks in the northern Peruvian Amazon (Loreto region). Most notably, it highlights the construction of 148 km of new roads, possibly illegal logging roads, through mostly primary forest between 2013 and 2014. One of the roads is within the buffer zone of the Cordillera Azul National Park.

In addition, MAAP article #7 shows the expansion of new logging roads near both the southern and northwestern sections of the Sierra del Divisor Reserved Zone. In both cases, the expansion is very recent (between 2013 and 2015).

 

[i] National Program of Forest Conservation for the Mitigation of Climate Change – PNCB.

[ii] Servicio Nacional Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre – SERFOR

[iii] MINAGRI-SERFOR/MINAM-PNCB (2015) Compartiendo una visión para la prevención, control y sanción de la deforestación y tala ilegal.

[iv] Note that some of the documented forest loss may come from natural causes, such as landslides or meandering rivers.

[v] MINAM (2013) Fondo Cooperativo Para El Carbono de los Bosques (FCPF) Plantilla de Propuesta para la Fase de Preparación para REDD+ (Readiness Plan Proposal – RPP). Link: http://www.minam.gob.pe/cambioclimatico/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2014/03/R-PP-Per%C3%BA-Final-Dec-2013-RESALTADO_FINAL_PUBLICADA-FCPF_24-febrero.pdf

[vi] NF Joan (2015) United Cacao replicates Southeast Asia’s plantation model in Peru, says CEO Melka. The Edge Singapore.Link: http://www.unitedcacao.com/images/media-articles/20150713-the-edge-united-cacao.pdf

[vii] Gutiérrez-Vélez VH, DeFries R, Pinedo-Vásquez M, et al. (2011) High-yield oil palm expansion spares land at the expense of forests in the Peruvian Amazon. Environ. Res. Lett., 6, 044029. Link: http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/6/4/044029/pdf

[viii] Environmental Investigation Agency (2015) Deforestation by Definition. Washington, DC. Link: http://eia-global.org/news-media/deforestation-by-definition

[ix] Tello Pereyra R (2015) Situacion legal, judicial, y administrativa de  Cacao del Peru Norte SAC. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_YIe70u1oA

[x] Asner GP, Llactayo W, Tupayachia R, Ráez Luna E (2013) PNAS 110 (46) 18454-18459. Link: http://www.pnas.org/content/110/46/18454.abstract

[xi] That is, 50,000 ha from the literature and 3,750 ha from MAAP analysis.

[xii] UNODC (2015) Monitoreo de cultivos ilícitos Perú 2014. Link: https://www.unodc.org/documents/crop-monitoring/Peru/Peru_Informe_monitoreo_coca_2014_web.pdf

Citation

Finer M, Novoa S (2015) Patterns and Drivers of Deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon. MAAP Synthesis #1. Link: https://www.maapprogram.org/2015/09/maap-synthesis1/

Image #15: Sierra del Divisor – New logging road threatens northern section of proposed national park

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In MAAP #7, we emphasized the need to promote the Sierra del Divisor Reserved Zone to the category of National Park due to the growing threats within and around the area. Here in MAAP #15, we show how the construction of a new logging road threatens the northwest section of the current Reserved Zone. New high-resolution images reveal that the construction of this logging road has continued to expand in 2015, and now even crosses a corner of the Reserve.

In addition, in anticipation of the upcoming visit of Peruvian President Ollanta Humala to the United Nations in New York to discuss climate change, we present data on the levels of carbon stored in the proposed Sierra del Divisor National Park.

Image 15a. Landsat (30 m res) images of the new logging road crossing the Sierra del Divisor Reserved Zone. Data: USGS, SERNANP

Image 15a shows the most recent expansion of the logging road between June (left panel) and September (right panel) 2015. For more context, note that the area displayed in Image 15a corresponds to the dashed box marked with the letter “A” in Image 15c.

Image 15b displays a high-resolution (1.5 m) image from August 7 of the section of road crossing the northern section of the Sierra del Divisor Reserved Zone.

Image 15b. High-resolution image of logging road crossing northern tip of Reserved Zone. Data: SPOT 7 Airbus.

Expansion 2012 – 2015

In Figure 15c, we show the expansion of this logging road from 2012 to 2015, totaling approximately 75 km of new road construction during these three years.

Image 15c. Expansion of the logging road in the northeast sector of the Reserve Zone. Data: MINAM-PNCB/MINAGRI-SERFOR, SERNANP, USGS.
Image 15c. Expansion of the logging road in the northeast sector of the Reserve Zone. Data: MINAM-PNCB/MINAGRI-SERFOR, SERNANP, USGS.

Carbon Data

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Imagen 15d. High-resolution carbon geography of Sierra del Divisor area. Data: Asner et al. 2014 a,b.

 

Dr. Greg Asner (from the Carnegie Institution for Science) and colleagues recently produced a high-resolution carbon map of Peru (Asner et al. 2014 a,b).

According to this data, the Sierra del Divisor Reserved Zone has the second largest carbon stock among all Peruvian protected areas (behind only Alto Purus National Park).

As seen in Image 15d, much of the proposed national park area contains high to very high carbon levels. Using this data, we calculated that the proposed Sierra del Divisor National Park contains approximately 165 million metric tons of above-ground carbon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SERNANP Response

In response to this article, SERNANP (the Peruvian protected areas agency) issued this statement:

The deforestation alert in the northwest sector parallel to the Sierra del Divisor Reserved Zone is caused by the improvement of an alleged older road that runs along the natural protected area, which is being operateded by a neighboring forest concessionaire. We denounced this before the Special Prosecutor for Environmental Matters in Loreto in 2012, as we considered it irregular and a threat to the protected area.

[La deforestación que se advierte en el sector noroeste paralelo a la Zona Reservada Sierra del Divisor se origina por el mejoramiento de una supuesta carretera antigua que viene ejecutando un concesionario forestal colindante con el área natural protegida, la cual denunciamos ante la Fiscalía Especializada de Materia Ambiental – Loreto en el año 2012, por considerarla irregular y constituirse en una amenaza a este espacio protegido.]

This past August, the Special Prosecutor scheduled an inspection, which was conducted jointly with the Public Prosecutor of the Ministry of the Environment. We have been making every effort to ensure that the Special Prosecutor performs the corresponding actions according to law, such as requiring OSINFOR to supervise the forest concessionaire due to the irregular events that we denounced.

[Recién en agosto último la Fiscalía programó la inspección fiscal, que se realizó conjuntamente con la Procuraduría Pública del Ministerio del Ambiente, en la cual venimos realizando todos los esfuerzos para que la Fiscalía Especializada realice las actuaciones que corresponde de acuerdo a Ley, así como requerir al OSINFOR supervise al concesionario forestal, por los hechos irregulares que denunciamos.]

Lima, 17 de setiembre del 2015

References

Asner GP, Knapp DE, Martin RE, Tupayachi R, Anderson CB, et al. (2014 a) Targeted carbon conservation at national scales with high-resolution monitoring. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(47), E5016-E5022.

Asner GP, Knapp DE, Martin RE, Tupayachi R, Anderson CB, et al. (2014 b) The high-resolution carbon geography of Peru. Berkeley, CA: Minuteman Press.

Citation

Finer M, Novoa S (2015) Sierra del Divisor – New logging road crosses northern section of Reserve Zone MAAP: Image #15. Link: https://www.maapprogram.org/2015/09/image15-sierra-divisor/

Image #14: Cusco – Increasing Deforestation Driven by Coca and Gold Mining

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In MAAP #14 we take our first detailed look at the region of Cusco. The city of Cusco is of course well known as the former capital of the Inca empire and current gateway to Machu Picchu, but the greater Cusco region is a vast area including large tracts of Amazon forest. Here, we focus on the eastern Cusco region, an area that is experiencing increasing deforestation from gold mining and coca cultivation.

Cusco_MAAP_12a_v4
Image 14a. Recent deforestation patterns in northeast Cusco region. Data: PNCB, USGS, SERNANP, IBC.

Key Results

We highlight two major expanding deforestation zones in the eastern Cusco region. Both zones are along major tributaries of the Araza River, which itself is a tributary of the Inambari River.

1) Nuciniscato River (see Zoom A). We documented a major deforestation spike since 2010 along this river and its major tributaries. Since 2010, there has been deforestation of 764 ha, much of which appears to be related to gold mining.

2) Nojonunta River (see Zoom B). We document a recent (2014) deforestation surge in this area, much of which appears to be related to coca cultivation.

Data Description

In the following maps:

Any variation of green in the satellite imagery indicates areas of forest cover.

Yellow (2000-2004), orange (2005-2008), red (2009-2012), and purple (2013) indicate areas that were deforested between 2000 and 2013 according to data from the National Program of Forest Conservation for the Mitigation of Climate Change (PNCB) of the Ministry of the Environment of Peru.

The colors pink (2014) and turquoise (2015) indicate areas that were deforested in the last two years based on our analysis of Landsat imagery using CLASlite forest monitoring software.

Zoom A: Nuciniscato River

Cusco_MAAP_12b_v3
Image 14b. Zoom A (see Image 12a for context). Data: PNCB, USGS, SERNANP, IBC.

We documented the deforestation of 967 ha along the Nuciniscato River and its major tributaries since 2000. Image 14b shows that the vast majority (79% or 764 ha) of this deforestation has occurred since 2010. Peak deforestation occurred in 2012 (219 ha) and dipped slightly in 2014 (115 ha).

As noted in MAAP #6, part of this deforestation (along the upper Nuciniscato River) is entering the buffer zone of the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve.

Zooms A1 and A2: Examples of Deforestation in 2015

To better understand the principal deforestation drivers along the Nuciniscato River, we acquired high resolution satellite imagery. Much of the recent deforestation since 2010 is characteristic of gold mining: along river courses with forest clearing, earth removal, and waste-water lagoons. Images 14c and 14d both show very recent deforestation (between February and August 2015) with these characteristics.

Cusco_MAAP_12c_v5_m
Image 14c. Zoom A1 (see Image 14b for context). Data: SPOT 7 from Airbus, GeoEye from Digital Globe (NextView).
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Image 14d. Zoom A2 (see Image 14b for context). Data: SPOT 7 from Airbus, GeoEye from Digital Globe (NextView).

Zoom B: Nojonunta River

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Image 14e. Zoom B (see Image 21a for context). Data: PNCB, USGS.

We documented the deforestation of 477 ha along the Nojonunta River since 2000. Image 14e shows that the vast majority (85% or 403 ha) of this deforestation has occurred since 2010. Peak deforestation occurred in 2014 (207 ha), particularly in the upper Nojonunta.

Zoom B1: Deforestation Driven by Coca Cultivation

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Image 14f. Zoom B1. Data: SPOT 7 from Airbus, UNODC 2014.

In the recent UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) report “Monitoreo de Cultivos de Coca 2014” [Coca Crop Monitoring 2014], it was reported that the area around the Nojonunta River (coca zone San Gabán) has a medium to high density of coca cultivation.

Image 14f displays the UNODC coca density data (left panel) in relation to a recent high resolution satellite image of the area (right panel). Thus, the data indicates that coca cultivation is a major driver of the deforestation detected in this case.

Citation

Finer M, Novoa S (2015) Increasing deforestation in Northeast Cusco region from coca and gold mining. MAAP: Image #14. Link: https://www.maapprogram.org/2015/09/image-14-cusco/

MAAP #13: Clearing of Primary Forest for Cacao Resumes in Tamshiyacu (Loreto, Peru)

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As confirmed in MAAP #9, the company United Cacao (through its subsidiary in Peru, Cacao Peru North) cleared 2,126 hectares of primary forest between May 2013 and August 2014 to establish a large-scale cacao plantation outside the town of Tamshiyacu, in northeastern Peru (Loreto region). New satellite imagery reveals that the forest clearing has recently resumed in 2015. We detected the cutting of 150 hectares in recent months, bringing the total area cleared as part of the United Cacao project to 2,276 hectares.

Tamshiyacu 3panel Ingles_v2

Image 13a shows a series of satellite images (NASA Landsat) taken between November 2014 and August 2015. In these images, a clearing of 24 hectares was detected in the period from November 2014 to June 2015. This reduction in forest clearing was possibly because of the Resolution issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, which temporarily paralyzed the agricultural activities of United Cacao.

However, more recent images have revealed a large increase in forest clearing – 126 hectares – between June and August 2015.

This brings to 2,276 ha the total forest clearing generated by the United Cacao project between May 2013 and August 2015.

In the Landsat images, the dark green color indicates forest cover, the light green secondary vegetation, the pink color indicates exposed ground (a key indicator of forest clearing), while scattered patches in black and white indicate clouds and their shadows.

Forest clearing between June and August 2015

MAAP13_Tam_13d_v4
Image 13b Base map indicating the location of a series of zooms. Data: USGS.

Image 13b indicates the location of a number of zooms (see below) that clearly illustrate the forest clearing that occurred between June and August 2015. The images 13c – 13e are of each respective zoom and show each area before and after the forest clearing. Note that Worldview-3 imagery resolution is 33 cm and Worldview-2 imagery resolution is 50 cm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Imagen 13c. Zoom A. Data: WorldView from Digital Globe (NextView).
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Image 13d. Zoom B. Data: WorldView from Digital Globe (NextView).
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Image 13e. Zoom C. Data: WorldView from Digital Globe (NextView).

Changing the Cacao Production Model in Peru

According to a recent interview with the President of United Cacao, the company is adopting the agro-industrial model. In other words, it is changing cacao production in Peru from the traditional small-scale model sited on long-deforested land for the agro-industrial model that requires large land parcels that are normally occupied by forests.