Natural protected areas (NPAs) provide a home for Peru’s world-famous biodiversity, and bring crucial natural resources to the people within the country and beyond. Ensuring their sustainability and efficient management is not only essential for the conservation of the country's flora and fauna, but for the country’s economic development and the well-being of local communities.

A recent study from Conservation Strategy Fund (CSF) demonstrates the positive impact of NPAs on the Peruvian economy, and highlights how an investment in these services could mean a return of nearly 900% in economic value to Peru. This economic analysis indicates that strategic investments in these spaces will conserve natural heritage, and also generate employment and economic growth.

For this analysis, CSF used a comprehensive approach that estimated the economic impact of investments in tourism infrastructure, as well as sustainable activities within the NPAs - tourism, small-scale commercialization of natural resources, and the implementation of REDD+ and MERESE Hídrico projects: remuneration mechanisms for water-based ecosystem services. These impacts were measured in terms of employment, value added and remuneration, using information from official sources such as the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI) and the National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State (SERNANP).

CSF estimates show that a strategic infrastructure investment of between S/403 and S/571 million could increase the number of park visitors by 158% to 418%, expanding tourism in the NPAs (compared to 2023). The economic impact of this potential investment would generate 62,000 jobs and S/828 million in salaries.

In addition, the study highlights that the development of tourism activities, commercialization of small-scale natural resources, and implementation of REDD+ and MERESE Water projects in NPAs have the potential to generate more than 157,000 jobs and S/4,945 million in income, which would represent more than 0.5% of the Peruvian GDP in 2023, surpassing the contribution of the fishing sector to the country. It is also expected that for each sol invested in NPA management, the economic return would be 6 times greater (S/6.49).

CSF also determined the contribution of these areas in 2023, in that for each sol invested in the management of the NPAs, the economic retribution was 10 times greater in tourism activities, commercialization of small-scale natural resources, and implementation of REDD+ projects and MERESE Hídrico (S/10.31). The variation between current and potential retribution (from S/10.31 to S/6.49) is due to the increase in investments in tourism infrastructure that should be made by the State, but which would contribute to the growth of the aforementioned activities and projects.

You can review these and other findings by accessing the study’s Policy Brief, in its English and Spanish versions, on the CSF website.