The joint effort of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United States Forest Service (USFS) granted 91 scholarships to environmental professionals from 13 regions of Peru, in a prestigious course at Michigan State University, about the effects of climate change and forest carbon management.
The selected professionals represent the public and private environmental sectors, as well as Non-Governmental Organizations. The training began in October with the course, “Understanding forest carbon management”, designed for the reality of Peru and Latin America.
This conservation initiative supported by the United States, equips Peru in the conservation of the Amazon in the fight against Climate Change, and in synch with commitments made in the Paris Agreement, whose sixth anniversary is celebrated December 12th.
Liz Mayhew, Deputy Director for Latin America, the Caribbean and Canada of International Programs of the United States Forest Service, affirms that this course will allow participants to build a specialized technical body to develop better proposals and initiatives in the regions of Lima, Madre de Dios, Loreto, San Martín, Ucayali, Ica, Puno, Piura, Cajamarca, Pasco, Lambayeque, Cusco, and Junín.
In this regard, the Vice Minister of Environment and Strategic Development of Natural Resources of MINAM, Alfredo Mamani Salinas, highlighted that Peru is one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world with 77 million hectares of forests, of which 94% are in the Amazon.
Michelle Jennings, Director of USAID’s Office of Environment and Sustainable Development in Peru, highlighted the importance of strengthening knowledge about forest carbon management, so that participants can lead initiatives to reduce deforestation in the Amazon and face the negative impacts of climate change. “At USAID we are committed to continue supporting Peru in the conservation of the Amazon, in its sustainable and inclusive use, and in supporting the climate actions necessary for humanity.”