Peru
Metropolitan Municipality of Lima
Since 2019
15th.
It is the first experience in Peru, and one of the first in the world, that gives a decisive voice to girls and boys to act in favor of the conservation of a natural area, through active participation in the PROHVILLA Board of Directors.
The main objective is to promote citizen participation in the work of promoting and protecting the Pantanos de Villa wetland, with the creation of a space for the participation of boys and girls in the management of this protected area.
The main protagonists are boys and girls between 8 and 12 years old, but the experience was also articulated internally, with organic units linked to the proposals made by the guardians, for example the Urban Mobility Management of the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima, which contributed with the policy to prohibit the transit of cargo cars on Av. Hernando de Lavalle and the accessibility measures in Prolongación Huaylas, busy roads in Lima and close to the Pantanos de Villa.
Externally with different partners from civil society, public institutions, community, among others:
- With the International Network of the City of Girls and Boys, led by Francesco Tonucci in Rome, of which Lima is a part and who provide permanent support to the vision.
- With the fathers and mothers of the children who, according to their own words, have become "guardian families".
- With schools in the area that facilitate the participation of their students.
- With the Ecological Police and the National Park Service (SERNANP), who supported the awareness day to reduce the use of fireworks.
- With the Embassy of the United States in Peru for the transfer of letters addressed to children of the Sand Lake Wildlife Refuge.
The Villa Swamps (Pantanos de la Villa) Wildlife Refuge is a protected natural area located on the coast of the district of Chorrillos in the province of Lima in Peru. These natural wetlands are a natural reserve that allows nesting and transit of migratory and resident birds. It is a natural site with an abundance of flora and fauna, belonging to the National System of Natural Protected Areas of the State.
The "Pantanos de Villa" is one of the most important wetlands in the middle of a city in Latin America, and its conservation is at risk due to the activities produced by human beings that affect its environment. But there is a public that is very committed to environmental care and it shows with their majority attendance at natural spaces such as swamps. Between 2015 and 2018, 6 out of 10 people who visited Pantanos de Villa were children. They are also citizens, however, during that time, there has been no participation of this group in any space where they could give their opinion or make proposals regarding the conservation of the Pantanos de Villa Wetland.
It was necessary to generate urgent changes to ensure not only the sustainability of the wetlands but also to start promoting citizenship and action from childhood. For this reason, since 2019, the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima promotes the practice "Guardians of the Pantanos de Villa". It is, as mentioned, the first experience in Peru, and one of the first in the world, that gives girls and boys a decisive voice to act in favor of the conservation of a natural area, through active participation in the Board of Directors of PROHVILLA.
With "Guardians of the Pantanos de Villa" a group of 40 minors has been formed, between 8 and 12 years old, and in parity (20 women and 20 men), in compliance with article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and within the framework of the adhesion of the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima to the International Network of the City of Girls and Boys. They meet to propose alternatives that promote better protection and friendlier activity in the wetlands. The presence and advice of girls and boys constitutes an important contribution for PROHVILLA, since its officials and staff learn from the perspective of girls and boys to be more sensitive, creative, attentive and empathetic in the work of conservation and promotion of the wetland.
The impact of this experience on the management of the area has been significant. 31 face-to-face and virtual sessions have been held for learning and generating proposals; 5 acts of public advocacy with authorities or decision makers, which came to materialize as Ordinance No. 2264 and Deputy Management Resolution No. 7656-2019-MML/GTU-SIT, on the protection of biodiversity in the area and measures of accessibility that come to favor the more than 25 thousand people who have visited the Pantanos de Villa since this experience was created. Along with these actions, the guardians have been carrying out work to raise awareness, sensitization, education, research and promotion of the wetland; and they also launched campaigns against the use of fireworks, cleaning and recovery of public spaces, through actions that had a great impact on the community.
"An innovative process that promotes the creation of a mechanism for the participation of girls and boys to guide the management of the Pantanos de Villa wetland. The children's participatory process is interesting, as well as the environmental approach. The evaluation mechanisms should be better specified."
"The presentation is clear and the annexes document provide a better understanding of the intervention. Moreover, the approach to the problem is truly innovative and is part of a global network of cities. However, it should be noted that the description of the evaluation process should be expanded: what qualitative and quantitative methods are used, what are the evaluation criteria, is it an impact, process or design evaluation? Finally, how is it accountable?"
Sources (in Spanish)
Initiative website
Facebook of the area
Website of the Municipality of Lima
YouTube channel of the Mayor's Office of Lima
IOPD award nomination form
The media involved
Testimonials from the parents of the participating children
Image gallery
Social Media Posts
Directive of the guardian girls and boys of the Pantanos de Villa
Join the OIDP
