The IANAS Water Program organized two events within the framework of the IANAS Amazon Initiative in the Peruvian cities of Lima and Iquitos, from October 14 to 17, 2025: the conference “New Scientific Horizons for the Amazon and its Sustainability” and the workshop “Management of Waters, Forests and Sand in the Amazon – Security for Ecosystems and Human Health.” Both events were coordinated by the IANAS Water Program Focal Point for Peru, Nicole Bernex, together with the Program’s Co-Chair, Katherine Vammen, and were sponsored by IAP/IANAS, the National Academy of Sciences of Peru, and the Compañía de Minas Buenaventura.

Conference in Lima addresses key issues on the dynamics of the Andean Amazon

On October 14, the National Academy of Sciences of Peru and the IANAS Water Program held a conference at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP) in Lima, bringing together a diverse group of experts working on water-related topics and broader environmental issues of the Peruvian Amazon. The objective of the conference was to analyze the dynamics and critical challenges affecting the environmental and social landscape of the Andean Amazon. The program featured researchers from leading Peruvian universities, alongside international specialists. Notable guest speakers included:

• Nicole Bernex (PUCP), on forest degradation, biodiversity loss, and water
• Hugo Hidalgo (University of Costa Rica), on climate variability and climate change
• Ernesto González (Central University of Venezuela), on the impact of deforestation and extraction on water bodies
• Ricardo Izurieta (California State University Dominguez Hills), on the effects on human health
• Francisco Otero (PUCP), on the challenges of construction in the Amazon
• Katherine Vammen (IANAS Water Program), on the sustainability of water, forests, sand, and communities

The conference presentations covered a broad range of themes that combined global perspectives with specific challenges of the Andean Amazon, such as a) the global context of sand mining and current research on its environmental impacts; b) forest degradation and its consequences for biodiversity and water resources; c) the acceleration of climate variability and climate change, with emphasis on their effects in the Amazon; d) how deforestation influences water resources, environmental health, and global hydrological dynamics; e) the challenges of construction in Peru, particularly with regard to the extraction of materials in coastal and Amazonian urban centers; and f) the importance of interdisciplinary research linking water, forests, sand, and the socio-environmental dynamics of Amazonian communities. All these elements are fundamental for understanding the complex dynamics of the Andean Amazon. The event promoted an active exchange between the audience and the invited experts, fostering constructive discussion on each of the subjects presented.

During the conference, key issues were highlighted concerning the interrelationships among forest ecosystems, water resources, and sand-mining activities in the Peruvian Amazon, as well as the degradation of aquatic environments, loss of biodiversity, impacts on human health, and the challenges of sustainable construction in tropical regions.

Workshop in Iquitos raises priorities for a new research project

From October 15 to 17, 2025, the IANAS Water Program held a research workshop in Iquitos, Department of Loreto, in the Peruvian Amazon. The event aimed to analyze current practices in the management of water, forests, and sand in the region, fostering exchanges among experts and researchers from a wide range of institutions and disciplines. Discussions centered on the dynamics and critical environmental and social challenges of the territory, with the goal of gathering inputs that will support the development of a research and intervention project. This future project will focus on strategies and policies informed by knowledge and data specific to the local and regional contexts of the Andean Amazon.

The workshop spanned three days of intensive dialogue between international water specialists from the IANAS Water Program and Peruvian professors and researchers. Activities began with a field visit to observe the extent of sand-mining operations and the unique Varillales Forests in the Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve. The workshop team included an interdisciplinary group of experts addressing themes such as surface-water systems; the nexus of water and forests; water and public health; hydrology; regional and environmental geology; biodiversity; economics and forest management; sustainable urban and territorial development; social anthropology and ethnology; and ecosystem restoration in the Amazon, among others.

Throughout the sessions and collaborative brainstorming activities, participants emphasized the urgent need to deepen understanding of the interconnections among sand mining, forests, and water resources, as well as the cumulative impacts of sand extraction, which is driving increased deforestation with significant consequences for hydrological systems. Discussions also highlighted the global context in which sand ranks as the second most extracted natural resource after water, underscoring the need to seek and develop sustainable alternatives. Additional concerns included rapid urbanization at local and regional scales and broader socio-environmental processes, such as the erosion of the cultural identity of Amazonian populations. Taken together, these issues point to the necessity of strengthened education, capacity building, and long-term planning to address the critical challenges facing Amazonian societies.

At the end of the workshop, an open conference was held for students, professors, and the general public in Iquitos. During this session, participants presented the workshop’s findings and outlined potential components of a new research project currently under development. The project will be shaped by the key themes identified during the workshop and will consider possible interventions aligned with the main priorities raised by the interdisciplinary team.