Huánuco, Peru

Peru
Governor Ruben Alva Ochoa
Representative Weninger Gonzales Astoquilca Regional Director of Agriculture
Representative Juan Canción Salazar Rojas Regional Manager of Natural Resources and Environmental Management

Description

The Region of Huánuco is located in the central part of the country, between the coordinates UTM 245 023.56 E – 553 462.16 E and 8 840 082.91 N – 9 080 734.01 N. It includes areas of the Andes, high forests, low forests, and tropical forests. The Cordillera Blanca occupies part of its northwest territory with the Cordillera de Huayhuash, the Nudo de Pasco to the south, the Cordillera de Raura on the border with Lima, and the Cordillera Azul forming a watershed between the Huallaga and Ucayali rivers.

The Huánuco region has an area of 36,850 km2, with 867,272 inhabitants in 2016 according to INEI.  This represents 2.7% of the national population of Peru.

The regions is neighbored by La Libertad, San Martin and Ucayali to the north, east Ucayali region, and to the south by the regions of Pasco and Lima, and to the west by Ancash. The region ranges from 167 to 6334 meters above sea level, with the capitol city situated at 1,894 meters above sea level.

Additional information can be found on the GCF Impact Platform.

Summary

Total Land Area 36,850 km²
% of Land That Is Forest 42.9 %
Deforestation Trend -20.6 % 2015 - 2016

Demographics

Population of State/Province 872,523
% of National Population 2.8%

Urban vs. Rural Population

Category %
Rural 0.61
Urban 0.39

Ethnic Groups

Group %
Amuesha (Yanesha) 980
Asheninka 712
Cashibo-Cacataibo 499
Shipibo-Conibo 403

Economy

State/Province GDP PEN 5.32 M
Annual Per Capita Income PEN 6,139

GDP Breakdown

Category %
Other sectors 40.92
Other service sectors 19.49
Agriculture, Livestock, Hunting and Forestry 16.52
Commerce 12.22
Building 10.85
Human Development Index 0.375
Main Exports Cocoa (grain, powder, butter, liquor and cover), fresh flowers

Forest Status

Original Forest Area 18,540 km²
Current Forest Area 15,818 km²
Total Area Deforested 2,722 km²
Total Forest Carbon 108 M MtC

Major Vegetation Types

Category km²
Others 37,070
Non-forested areas 8,858
Hill forests 2,799
Andean agriculture 2,055
Terraced forests 1,404
Mountain forests 1,264
Flooded forest 17

Forest Management

Category km²
National Protected Areas 16
Timber forest concessions 12
Native titled communities 9
Private Conservation Areas - ACP 1

Drivers of Deforestation

Causes of deforestation in Huánuco include include agricultural activities, forest fires and diseases, and the uncontrolled felling of trees. A substantial driver in some areas is illegal mining, which is particularly prevalent in the province of Puerto Inca, where it is responsible 16% of the loss in vegetation cover.

At present, the deforestation of tropical forests is a real threat. In Huánuco the rates of deforestation in have been much more intense in dry and semi-arid areas, especially in the mountains. This is likely due to the fact that drier areas and higher altitudes in Huanuco are more suitable for livestock production. The soils of these regions, in general, are richer and easier to cultivate than the old soils of the tropical plains, which are largely depleted of nutrients and have restrictions in place to prevent agricultural expansion.

One of these consequences of deforestation in Huánuco is the release of forest carbon into the atmosphere. Deforestation also leads to a loss in water retention, and increases the impact of droughts in the region.  

Deforestation Rates

Notes

a.

Due to different methodological approaches and base years, Forest Status data fields may differ slightly. Data sources for each field are listed below.

Sources

1.

National Institute of Statistics and Informatics. Yearbook of Environmental Statistics 2015
2.

Data obtained from the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics
3.

(INEI, 2016) link
4.

National Institute of Statistics and Informatics. Values at Constant Prices of 2007
5.

Jurisdictional profiles of the member regions of the Group of Governors for Climate and Forests in Peru. Alternate Development Mechanisms, Lima: 2018
6.

(PNUD-Perú, S/F) link
7.

Data obtained from the Integrated Foreign Trade Information System. 
8.

Geobosques Platform based on the year 2001.
9.

Geobosques 2016
10.

(MINAM, 2016) link