Strengthening resilience in National Sanctuary Manglares de Tumbes, Peru’s largest mangrove forest

Soham Bhattacharyya, Ocean Image Bank

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Protecting Peru’s largest mangrove forest

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National Sanctuary Manglares de Tumbes, Peru

Why conserving Peru’s largest mangrove forest matters

Peru’s National Sanctuary Manglares de Tumbes is a biodiversity hotspot and a powerful carbon sink, making it a vital area for conservation and climate action.

The National Sanctuary Manglares de Tumbes (SNLMT) represents Peru's largest mangrove forest area. Spanning 29.72 km² along the Ecuadorian border, the sanctuary is home to 148 species of birds, 105 species of fish, and many rare and endangered mollusks, crustaceans, and mammals.

Mangroves are critical for biodiversity and serve as a significant carbon sink, capturing up to five times more carbon dioxide than tropical forests.

Despite their importance, the mangroves face threats from worsening water quality, pollution, deforestation, and urban development. Over a quarter of mangrove forests globally have been lost in the last 50 years, underscoring the urgent need to protect Tumbes’ mangroves.

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Project Info

Location

National Sanctuary Manglares de Tumbes, Peru

BNC focus

Conservation and restoration of mangrove forests

Funding duration

18 months (2022 – 2024)

Project developer

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Consorcio Manglares del Noroeste del Perú

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Project Partner

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More information

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Podcast

Our Investing for Ocean Impact podcast series explores all aspects of Blue Carbon, including investment strategies, financing solutions, project management, and how local communities can participate and benefit. In the episodes below, we talk about the ideas behind Nature-based Solutions as long-term investments:

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The BNC solution for preserving Manglares de Tumbes

The Consorcio Manglares del Noroeste del Perú (CMN), in partnership with Chilean Centro de Estudios de Sistemas Sociales (CESSO), is working to unlock the value of this sanctuary for the voluntary carbon market. The initiative aims to strengthen climate adaptation, enhance eco-tourism, and ensure the area’s sustainable management.

By quantifying the sanctuary’s carbon sequestration potential, the project will generate a new income stream through carbon credit sales, benefiting local communities and funding conservation efforts.

How BCAF supports the Manglares de Tumbes initiative

BCAF funding supports verifying the sanctuary’s carbon sink potential and its certification for the voluntary carbon market. This certification will enable the sale of carbon credits, generate income to fund ongoing conservation efforts and support the sustainable management of the area.

In addition, BCAF assistance is helping to develop a master plan for financial management and a sustainability and business plan to guide long-term stewardship. These efforts aim to improve climate adaptation, reduce pollution, enhance aquaculture water quality, and create opportunities for sustainable eco-tourism.

Impacts created

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Nature

Mangrove conservation and restoration strengthen climate change resilience by increasing carbon sequestration and enhancing ecosystem services. The project supports biodiversity by protecting key marine species like mangrove crabs and spiny pustulose ark clams.

People

Artisanal fishers and local communities will benefit from new revenue streams, better livelihoods, and improved environmental health. The project will create quality jobs and sustainable tourism opportunities, with 40% of the sanctuary’s population receiving training.

Business

The Plan Vivo Additionality Assessment approach ensures that the sanctuary's carbon credits represent genuine additional carbon sequestration efforts, strengthening the initiative's credibility. In addition to carbon credits, the project creates income from artisanal fishing, sustainable shrimp farming, seafood processing, and pharmaceutical research opportunities.

Calls for Proposals

There are no open calls for proposals. Sign up for email alerts to be notified of the next call and receive updates on BNCFF and BCAF projects, lessons learned, and more, or email us at bluenaturalcapital@iucn.org.