The New Peruvian Experiment: private conservation, tourism and mining in the Cordillera Huayhuash
Global efforts to create protected areas dramatically increased in the last several decades. This growth is couched within the context of rising hegemonic neoliberal economic policies that govern natural resource allocation. Research on the creation and management of protected areas shows that conservation efforts are moving from the domain of sovereign governments to that of the private sector and from a principal of preservation to one of conserving biodiversity in productive landscapes. While these shifts appear successful based on the ever increasing terrestrial surface area considered protected, there is little known about how this "third wave" of conservation touches down at local scales across diverse institutional and ecological contexts. This dissertation presents a case study of how private conservation frameworks and practices emerged in the Cordillera Huayhuash, a mineral and biodiversity rich mountain range located in the Andes of Perú. Particular attention was given to how economic activities such as tourism and mining influence outcomes in local human and natural communities. To determine environmental outcomes measures of water quality, pasture productivity and forest cover were made; the results serve as a baseline for future assessments. Institutional and social outcomes were assessed with mixed methods ranging from a broad questionnaire to a participatory conservation zoning exercise undertaken in partnership with the Peruvian government. The environmental observations show limited measurable impacts and highlight the importance of future assessments. The institutional and social assessment shows that the exogenous influence from the international conservation community and the extractive industry are both powerful factors, and that endogenous influences such as corruption and self-interested local leaders also play important roles in shaping outcomes. The participatory zoning exercise demonstrates a hopeful method to build bridges between the local communities and sympathetic officials in the Peruvian protected areas service. The zoning work also raises important questions about whose property will be better defended by the state, that of the communities or that of the mining companies. These findings show how the shared role of private property in both conservation and extraction needs careful consideration when implementing market-based conservation efforts on communal territory in extractive zones.
