In response to the oil spill in Peruvian coastal waters, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded a $100,000 grant to the Peruvian environmental fund, “Profonanpe”, to work with the National Service of Protected Natural Areas by the State (SERNANP), the National Forestry and Wildlife Service (SERFOR) and with the Peruvian NGO community to address the oil spill and the impacts on important natural areas.
The grant will allow “Profonanpe” to coordinate with SERFOR, SERNANP and a consortium of NGOs to develop and implement assessment and monitoring plans for coastal marine wildlife populations in the area affected by the oil spill. “Profonanpe” will also work with its partners to collect information on the number of animals and habitats affected by the oil spill, as well as their locations. Finally, this grant will support the preparation of assessments that will serve to understand the economic and environmental impacts generated by the oil spill, as well as the development of a response protocol to respond to future disasters.
Jene Thomas, Director of USAID in Peru mentioned that “With the support of USAID, highly specialized teams from the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provided technical assistance in emergency preparedness, planning, response, and recovery activities. Through this donation to “Profonanpe,” the United States wants to reinforce our commitment to continue working together with the Peruvian Government and NGOs to respond to this emergency and contribute to the development of an action protocol in the event of similar disasters in the future.”
“Profonanpe” is an internationally recognized national environmental fund with a long history of working to conserve Peru’s biodiversity and protected areas and currently administers funds that support the conservation of protected areas throughout the country, including those affected and threatened by this spill. “This joint collaboration with USAID will be crucial to manage resources in response to the oil emergency and generate data to help public and private institutions make decisions based on evidence, and be able to take the appropriate actions in similar situations that arise,” declared Anton Willems, CEO of “Profonanpe.”