Rights vs. Oil in Peru

Indigenous Environmental Monitoring of Oil Extraction in the Peruvian Amazon

This project aims to support and strengthen an independent indigenous environmental monitoring program, conducted by young indigenous leaders, which would report contamination and environmental violations to the State authorities and publicly demand remedial action and compensation.

Location: State of Loreto, Peru
Partners: FEDIQUEP (Principal Quechua indigenous federation of the upper Pastaza River), World Wildlife Fund (Peru office), Shinai and Solisticio

Project description

Background:International oil companies have been drilling on Quechua lands in the Pastaza Region of Peru for the past 40 years, with support from the Peruvian Government. Over these decades the extraction of millions of barrels of oil from this region has provided only minimal benefits for the local indigenous communities, while devastating their environment. While enormous profits accrue to the oil company, indigenous groups are left to suffer all of the negative impacts. The area is home to a rich biological and cultural diversity, and as such there is a need to establish an independent indigenous environmental monitoring program, which could help control environmental damage to the area. Quechua monitors would report contamination and environmental violations to the relevant authorities, and demand remedial action and compensation. Such a program could dramatically change relations between the company and the indigenous communities, and force the company to improve its environmental practices.

Activities:
*Provide FEDIQUEP leaders and environmental monitors basic knowledge of international human rights legislation and national environmental law and regulations.
*Develop a training program for 14 indigenous environmental monitors - community members who are trained to detect and report oil leakage as well as soil and water contamination caused by oil operations.
*Train FEDIQUEP leaders and environmental monitors in negotiation skills and how to effectively represent their communities while interacting with local, regional, national and international authorities on issues related to land and human rights and environmental policy.
*Support Quechua communities in creating guidelines and policy recommendations on oil extraction in their territories, which could serve as a model for other indigenous groups as well as a base to improve national legislation.
*Prepare and implement a legal strategy to defend the Quechua’s rights, land and resources.

Did you Know?

*About 70% of the Peruvian Amazon has been granted as international oil concessions
*The granting of oil concessions in indigenous territories has occurred without proper consultation of the indigenous peoples who live in the Peruvian Amazon
*The 5,500 Quechua and the 2,500 Kandochi who live along the Pastaza River are affected by contamination from oil drilling

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