The legal framework for protected areas in Peru favors a co-management and participatory approach, and enables the establishment of Management contracts between the Peruvian Government and private non-profit organizations, as an effective mechanism to support management. In this context, since its creation, the Cordillera Azul National Park (PNCA) has had technical support from the NGO Center for Conservation, Research and Management of Natural Areas - Cordillera Azul (CIMA - Cordillera Azul). Years later, in 2008, the State signed an agreement with CIMA for the total administration of the Park's operations for a period of 20 years. Under this framework, a Global Development Agreement (GDA) was signed with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID,) the Moore Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, the Field Museum of Chicago and CIMA, to combine efforts towards the conservation of the PNCAZ and to have financial support during the period 2008-2013. This allowed to establish a long-term vision for the adaptive management of the Park, to implement a participatory management model, and to achieve greater financial sustainability through the leverage of funds for the PNCAZ.
- The legal framework for protected areas in Peru promotes co-management and the establishment of public-private partnerships.
- Long-term commitment (20 years) of an NGO as the executive organization for the PNCAZ Total Administration Contract.
- Coordinated work between the NGO managing the Park and the public management organization, local and regional government, and communities in the buffer zone.
The co-management mechanism implemented through CIMA's PNCA Total Administration Contract was key to the effectiveness of the park management. The reason is that CIMA not only has the necessary skills to manage protected areas, but it has also implemented fundamental and innovative elements to achieve this management. One of these elements is to have become an articulating agent that allows to promote and reach the involvement of the approximately 120 villages and native communities that live in the buffer zone, as well as of the regional and local authorities of the four Departments where the Park is located (San Martin, Loreto, Ucayali and Huánuco). This model seeks the empowerment of communities next to the area for conservation and local development. Their work approach responds to the PNCAZ’s Master Plan, developed through the Management Committee of the protected area, CIMA, and SERNANP.