‘Sowing and harvesting water’: Revisiting forest restoration in the Peruvian Andes through a multi‐stakeholder analysis

Abstract Efforts to restore Peru's megadiverse Andean Forests are rapidly growing. While ecological determinants for restoration success are well known, knowledge on the socio‐economic and governance conditions that allow for the success of ecological restoration using native species is scarce....

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Main Authors: Tina Christmann, Isaías Cjuno‐Turpo, Mayté López‐Aranda, Sarah Jane Wilson, Aida Cuni‐Sanchez, Yadvinder Malhi, Augusto Ramirez, Vidal Rondán, Francisco Medina Castro, Marlene Mamani, Jorge Recharte, Marco Arenas, Constantino Aucca Chutas, Omar Amador Carrión Moreno, Frida Blanca Gonzalez Cabello, Imma Oliveras Menor
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-03-01
Series:People and Nature
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10787
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author Tina Christmann
Isaías Cjuno‐Turpo
Mayté López‐Aranda
Sarah Jane Wilson
Aida Cuni‐Sanchez
Yadvinder Malhi
Augusto Ramirez
Vidal Rondán
Francisco Medina Castro
Marlene Mamani
Jorge Recharte
Marco Arenas
Constantino Aucca Chutas
Omar Amador Carrión Moreno
Frida Blanca Gonzalez Cabello
Imma Oliveras Menor
author_facet Tina Christmann
Isaías Cjuno‐Turpo
Mayté López‐Aranda
Sarah Jane Wilson
Aida Cuni‐Sanchez
Yadvinder Malhi
Augusto Ramirez
Vidal Rondán
Francisco Medina Castro
Marlene Mamani
Jorge Recharte
Marco Arenas
Constantino Aucca Chutas
Omar Amador Carrión Moreno
Frida Blanca Gonzalez Cabello
Imma Oliveras Menor
author_sort Tina Christmann
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Efforts to restore Peru's megadiverse Andean Forests are rapidly growing. While ecological determinants for restoration success are well known, knowledge on the socio‐economic and governance conditions that allow for the success of ecological restoration using native species is scarce. (Appendix S1) Using a multi‐stakeholder approach, this paper analyses the motivations, preferences, success factors and governance models for effective ecological restoration of Andean Forests, through 75 semi‐structured interviews with local community members, NGOs and government actors in 11 restoration sites in Peru. We find that across sites and stakeholder groups, the primary motivations for Andean Forest restoration were tied to restoring and improving hydrological resources. Stakeholders valued Andean Forests mostly for their provisioning ecosystem services—with water provision valued by all stakeholders and firewood provision predominantly by communities—followed by regulating services (water retention and climate regulation). Restoration success—the degree of perceived achievement of project objectives—was high at all sites and scored between 2.4 and 3 out of 3. Enabling factors for the restoration success were mostly social and institutional. There was no ‘silver bullet’ to successful restoration; rather, enabling factors included high resource dependence of communities, support from NGOs, participatory management and governance, and the creation of communal conservation agreements. Communities emphasized primarily social and institutional limiting factors, while government stakeholders emphasized technical challenges. We further identified three typologies of how projects engage and compensate communities: a ‘payment model’, a ‘capacity model’ and a ‘mixed model’ which differ in their rentability, longevity and socio‐economic benefits provided. All stakeholder groups favoured active forest restoration and community members identified desirable native plant species with local use and hydrological value. Interviewees also highlighted that restoration needs to go beyond forests, and combine native tree planting, agroforestry, restoration of mountain grasslands and peatlands to holistically improve water resources and long‐term economic benefits at a landscape scale. Synthesis and applications. Andean Forest restoration projects need to consider hydrological ecosystem services in all key restoration stages. Communities need to be involved through participatory processes and receive long‐lasting benefits—both ecosystem services and livelihood incentives—to guarantee long‐term project success. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
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spelling doaj-art-aaded3ff4e1f472aa36c2a992d44506c2025-08-20T03:14:53ZengWileyPeople and Nature2575-83142025-03-017363165210.1002/pan3.10787‘Sowing and harvesting water’: Revisiting forest restoration in the Peruvian Andes through a multi‐stakeholder analysisTina Christmann0Isaías Cjuno‐Turpo1Mayté López‐Aranda2Sarah Jane Wilson3Aida Cuni‐Sanchez4Yadvinder Malhi5Augusto Ramirez6Vidal Rondán7Francisco Medina Castro8Marlene Mamani9Jorge Recharte10Marco Arenas11Constantino Aucca Chutas12Omar Amador Carrión Moreno13Frida Blanca Gonzalez Cabello14Imma Oliveras Menor15School of Geography and the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UKFaculdad de Ciencias, Escuela Profesional de Biología Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco (UNSAAC) Cusco PeruFacultad de Ciencias Forestales Universidad Agraria La Molina Lima PeruSchool of Environmental Studies University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia CanadaDepartment of International Environment and Development Studies (Noragric), Faculty of Landscape and Society Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) Ås NorwayEnvironmental Change Institute, School of Geography & the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UKCEDES Apurímac Abancay PeruInstituto de Montaña Ancash PeruNational Research Institute for Glaciers and Mountain Ecosystems Huaraz Ancash PeruConservación Amazónica, ACCA Cusco PeruInstituto de Montaña Lima PeruDesarrollo Ambiental y Social Perú Lima PeruAsociación, Ecosistemas Andinos (ECOAN) Cusco PeruServicio Nacional Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre—SERFOR Lima PeruServicio Nacional Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre—SERFOR Dirección de Gestión Sostenible del Patrimonio Forestal Lima PeruEnvironmental Change Institute, School of Geography & the Environment University of Oxford Oxford UKAbstract Efforts to restore Peru's megadiverse Andean Forests are rapidly growing. While ecological determinants for restoration success are well known, knowledge on the socio‐economic and governance conditions that allow for the success of ecological restoration using native species is scarce. (Appendix S1) Using a multi‐stakeholder approach, this paper analyses the motivations, preferences, success factors and governance models for effective ecological restoration of Andean Forests, through 75 semi‐structured interviews with local community members, NGOs and government actors in 11 restoration sites in Peru. We find that across sites and stakeholder groups, the primary motivations for Andean Forest restoration were tied to restoring and improving hydrological resources. Stakeholders valued Andean Forests mostly for their provisioning ecosystem services—with water provision valued by all stakeholders and firewood provision predominantly by communities—followed by regulating services (water retention and climate regulation). Restoration success—the degree of perceived achievement of project objectives—was high at all sites and scored between 2.4 and 3 out of 3. Enabling factors for the restoration success were mostly social and institutional. There was no ‘silver bullet’ to successful restoration; rather, enabling factors included high resource dependence of communities, support from NGOs, participatory management and governance, and the creation of communal conservation agreements. Communities emphasized primarily social and institutional limiting factors, while government stakeholders emphasized technical challenges. We further identified three typologies of how projects engage and compensate communities: a ‘payment model’, a ‘capacity model’ and a ‘mixed model’ which differ in their rentability, longevity and socio‐economic benefits provided. All stakeholder groups favoured active forest restoration and community members identified desirable native plant species with local use and hydrological value. Interviewees also highlighted that restoration needs to go beyond forests, and combine native tree planting, agroforestry, restoration of mountain grasslands and peatlands to holistically improve water resources and long‐term economic benefits at a landscape scale. Synthesis and applications. Andean Forest restoration projects need to consider hydrological ecosystem services in all key restoration stages. Communities need to be involved through participatory processes and receive long‐lasting benefits—both ecosystem services and livelihood incentives—to guarantee long‐term project success. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10787Andean Forestcommunity participationecological restorationecosystem servicesforest governancelocal livelihoods
spellingShingle Tina Christmann
Isaías Cjuno‐Turpo
Mayté López‐Aranda
Sarah Jane Wilson
Aida Cuni‐Sanchez
Yadvinder Malhi
Augusto Ramirez
Vidal Rondán
Francisco Medina Castro
Marlene Mamani
Jorge Recharte
Marco Arenas
Constantino Aucca Chutas
Omar Amador Carrión Moreno
Frida Blanca Gonzalez Cabello
Imma Oliveras Menor
‘Sowing and harvesting water’: Revisiting forest restoration in the Peruvian Andes through a multi‐stakeholder analysis
People and Nature
Andean Forest
community participation
ecological restoration
ecosystem services
forest governance
local livelihoods
title ‘Sowing and harvesting water’: Revisiting forest restoration in the Peruvian Andes through a multi‐stakeholder analysis
title_full ‘Sowing and harvesting water’: Revisiting forest restoration in the Peruvian Andes through a multi‐stakeholder analysis
title_fullStr ‘Sowing and harvesting water’: Revisiting forest restoration in the Peruvian Andes through a multi‐stakeholder analysis
title_full_unstemmed ‘Sowing and harvesting water’: Revisiting forest restoration in the Peruvian Andes through a multi‐stakeholder analysis
title_short ‘Sowing and harvesting water’: Revisiting forest restoration in the Peruvian Andes through a multi‐stakeholder analysis
title_sort sowing and harvesting water revisiting forest restoration in the peruvian andes through a multi stakeholder analysis
topic Andean Forest
community participation
ecological restoration
ecosystem services
forest governance
local livelihoods
url https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10787
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