FOREST MANAGEMENT WITH SHIPIBO CONIBO AND CACATAIBO INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES OF THE UCAYALI REGION (NII KANITI)

Nii Kaniti protects almost 120,000 hectares of critical rainforest in Ucayali. It maintains essential habitat connectivity and facilitates movement, dispersal and the ecological function of flora, fauna, and the ecosystem.

The project supports seven communities belonging to two indigenous ethnic groups – Shipibo Conibo and Cacataibo – through improving community forest management. These communities are remote, with several only reachable by boat from the Ucayali River. Many indigenous people living in the area depend on the forest yet remain in poverty and social exclusion. Nii Kaniti aims to build resilience into their livelihoods by supporting them to better protect and conserve their lands. All activities address community needs through extensive collaboration.

Nii Kaniti means ‘forest and development’ in the indigenous language local to the Ucayali region of central Peru. The project prioritizes indigenous-led development, scaling up sustainable community forest management to improve the livelihoods of seven remote indigenous communities on the edge of the Peruvian Amazon. By preventing land invasions for unsustainable agriculture, illegal use of forest resources, and land grabs, it protects 120,000 hectares of threatened forest, home to animals such as jaguars, macaws, and tapirs.

A distinctive feature is a social enterprise, Nii Biri, which is a hub for indigenous economic activities. It is run by local and indigenous people and supports business administration, scaling of production, and improved market access for local producers.