The residents of Metropolitan Lima, Callao, Ica, and Huancayo will benefit from the GEF-8 Project "Promoting Sustainable, Nature-Positive, Resilient, and Inclusive Cities," an initiative led by the Ministry of Environment of Peru (Minam), a Member of the IUCN, with the support of the IUCN and the IDB as implementing partners.

 

On February 25 and 26, a kick-off workshop was held in Lima to formulate the project, which has $13.3 million in funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project aims to promote sustainable urban planning that integrates natural resource management and effective governance to improve the quality of life for the population.

 

The workshop brought together various stakeholders from the participating cities. José Alberto Sáenz, Director General of Territorial Planning and Integrated Natural Resource Management at Minam, highlighted that this effort will help reduce river and soil pollution, improve solid waste management, restore urban ecosystems such as hills and wetlands, and promote sustainable neighborhoods.

 

He also noted that the project will reduce population vulnerability to disaster risks and promote effective environmental management of watersheds, which are vital for the development of Lima, Callao, Ica, and Huancayo. These three cities represent one-third of Peru's population, and their rapid growth and unsustainable resource use have left them vulnerable to natural disasters and challenges such as limited freshwater availability.

Consuelo Espinoza, Regional Program Coordinator for South America at IUCN, emphasized the importance of integrating urban management approaches that generate global environmental benefits in terms of biodiversity, climate change, and pollution-free environments—such as Nature-Positive, Nature-Based Solutions, and others—to achieve the commitments of the 2030 Agendas.

 

Meanwhile, Sebastián Lew, Sector Specialist in Housing and Urban Development at the IDB, highlighted the need to improve cities by promoting urban regeneration strategies and transit-oriented development and facilitating financing for comprehensive projects that benefit local stakeholders.

Last year, under the Integrated Sustainable Cities Program, the GEF approved two projects totaling $18 million, where the IUCN will serve as an Implementing Agency in Peru and Guatemala. These projects aim to make priority cities more sustainable, climate-resilient, and carbon-neutral.