Between conservation and extraction: Addressing socioecological dynamics of illicit economies and opportunities for rural development in Protected Areas of the Peruvian Amazon

This project analyses the linked socioecological dynamics of illicit economies and opportunities for rural development in Protected Areas of the Peruvian Amazon. Coca cultivation and illegal gold mining are growing drivers of deforestation in Protected Areas. However, research on their spatial dynamics, their interactions with local communities and the feasibility of alternative scenarios is scarce. Using a transdisciplinary Socioecological Systems approach that integrates quantitative and qualitative methods from the social sciences and ecology, this project models the spatiotemporal dynamics of these illicit economies and their adaptation to state policies, while also addressing the parallel implementation of two rural development initiatives: Forest Landscape Restoration and Alternative Development programs. The sites for this case study are the Tambopata National Reserve and the Bahuaja-Sonene National Park, two adjacent parks affected by coca and illegal gold mining. By combining remote sensing with a multi-situated ethnography, this project will (1) characterize the spatial and environmental dynamics of coca cultivation and illegal gold mining, and the effectiveness of state policies; (2) identify how these illicit economies reshape the social dynamics and governance of Protected Areas; and (3) address how local communities respond to the implementation of Alternative Development and Forest Landscape Restoration programs.