Conservación Amazónica–ACCA and Imperial partner to advance restoration science in the Andes-Amazon

This new collaboration, supported by the Jacobs Futura Foundation, will combine cutting-edge hydrology with community knowledge to better understand how restoring Andean forests protects water, biodiversity, and climate resilience.

Conservación Amazónica–ACCA and Imperial have launched an ambitious new research partnership to investigate how restoring forests in the high Andes can strengthen water security, biodiversity, and climate resilience across the Andes-Amazon region.

Made possible through funding from the Jacobs Futura Foundation, the project will establish an innovative environmental monitoring network across southeastern Peru, spanning nearly 5,000 meters of elevation—from the high Andes to the Amazon lowlands. The initiative will generate critical scientific evidence on how ecological restoration influences water, soils, climate, and biodiversity in one of the world's most important and vulnerable landscapes.

The Andes are the source of the water that feeds the Amazon Basin. Yet despite growing investments in forest restoration, surprisingly little is known about how restoring high-elevation ecosystems affects water availability downstream or how restoration improves ecosystem services for local communities.

"Understanding the relationship between restoration and water is one of the scientific and conservation challenges facing the Andes today," said Corine Vriesendorp, Director of Science at Conservación Amazónica–ACCA. "Healthy mountain ecosystems provide water for communities, agriculture, and the Amazon itself. This partnership will help us understand which restoration approaches deliver the greatest benefits for both people and nature."

The project builds on ACCA's long-standing restoration efforts in the Cusco region, led by restoration specialist Marlene Mamani, who works in partnership with local communities to restore degraded Andean landscapes. Researchers from Imperial will contribute internationally recognized expertise in hydrology, soil and ecosystem science to establish advanced monitoring systems that measure river flow, soil health, climate, and biodiversity across restoration sites.

The most powerful science happens when local knowledge and scientific innovation come together Wouter Buytaert Professor of Water and Hydrology Resources, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Community members will help identify monitoring locations, maintain equipment, collect environmental data, and interpret the results alongside scientists. Their deep understanding of seasonal water patterns, changing landscapes, and local ecosystems will complement cutting-edge environmental research, creating a richer and more complete picture of how restoration is transforming these landscapes.

"The most powerful science happens when local knowledge and scientific innovation come together," said Wouter Buytaert, Professor of Water and Hydrology Resources at Imperial’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. "Communities have observed these landscapes for generations. Combining that knowledge with advanced hydrological monitoring allows us to answer questions that neither approach could solve alone."

The project will also invest in the next generation of environmental leaders through field courses and technology boot camps that will train Peruvian students, community members, conservation practitioners, and Imperial students in environmental monitoring, data analysis, and restoration science.

All environmental data generated through the project will be made openly available, creating a practical monitoring framework that can be replicated throughout Peru and across the Andes. The findings will support local communities, protected area managers, and policymakers as they develop restoration strategies to strengthen water security and climate resilience.

Support from the Jacobs Futura Foundation is enabling this unique collaboration between science, conservation, and local communities. By investing in long-term monitoring and knowledge sharing, the Foundation is helping create the evidence needed to guide restoration efforts in one of the world's most biodiverse regions, the Tropical Andes.