Where the Forest Begins: Seeds and Rural Communities Restoring Peru's Dry Forests

In the dry forests of Peru's northern coast, where water scarcity is the greatest challenge, another essential protagonist comes into focus: the families who live there. Like the seeds they sow, these communities have demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability in the face of prolonged drought.

But is the process really that simple?

Peru's dry forests cover approximately 3.5 million hectares along the country's northern coast, representing about 3% of the national territory. They are home to 114 rural communities across the regions of Piura, Tumbes, Lambayeque, and La Libertad. For these communities, seeds represent far more than the beginning of a tree—they symbolize life, shade, water, and livelihoods.

Yet these landscapes face growing anthropogenic pressures that have resulted in biodiversity loss and land degradation, driven by agricultural expansion, overgrazing, unsustainable forestry practices, illegal wildlife trafficking, and the impacts of climate change.

To help reverse this trend, the Bosque Seco (Dry Forest) Project aims to restore Peru's dry forests through a landscape approach that works hand in hand with local communities while promoting environmentally sustainable livelihoods. The initiative is led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Peru's Ministry of the Environment, and Profonanpe.

Forest Restoration: A Carefully Planned Process

Priority restoration sites were identified using the Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM), which considers ecological, social, and economic criteria when assessing restoration opportunities. Through this process, nearly 100 degraded sites across northern Peru have been identified as offering the greatest potential for restoration. One such example is the José Ignacio Távara Rural Community, located in the district of Chulucanas, Piura.

Since 2025, approximately 150 families from the José Ignacio Távara Rural Community have been trained to restore 304 hectares using the seed dispersal technique. Seeds are protected from predators through the Japanese Nendo Dango (seed ball) technique, which combines clay, goat manure, water, and native forest seeds to form uniform seed balls ready for dispersal. Between 1,000 and 1,200 seed balls are required per hectare, distributed at intervals of approximately three metres.

"What’s interesting about this technique is that once the seed balls are ready, we can store them without any problem," explained Rosita Elvira Ancajima Nima during a technical visit by Peru's Minister of the Environment. "Then, when the rains are about to begin, we scatter them throughout the forest, making sure they are spaced far enough apart. The rain dissolves the clay ball and helps the seeds germinate".

This technique has proven to be one of the most effective methods for restoring dry forests. The clay and manure protect the seeds and provide essential nutrients, preventing them from being eaten by predators, shielding them from harsh environmental conditions, synchronizing germination with the rainy season, and improving germination rates. It also allows for the use of a wide diversity of native dry forest species.

©Proyecto Bosque Seco

From Seed to Sapling: The Next Challenge

Seed germination is only the first step. Ensuring the survival of young seedlings is the real challenge in restoring landscapes affected by water stress. Following natural regeneration or community seed dispersal, protecting young saplings becomes critical due to grazing pressure. To address this threat, families implement a nature-based solution known as the artificial nurse structure.

Before constructing these structures, the seedlings requiring protection are carefully identified. If necessary, light formative pruning is carried out, and branches collected during forest thinning are used to build a square pyramid tied together with wire at the top. The structure is then completed by covering all four sides with smaller branches, creating a natural barrier that protects the seedlings from grazing livestock.

The primary function of the nurse structure is to protect young plants by providing shade, moisture, and nutrients. It also creates a microhabitat that attracts insects, birds, and small mammals, which contribute to restoration by naturally dispersing seeds throughout the landscape.

"This technique is both sustainable and innovative because it promotes natural regeneration through low-cost solutions that are fully integrated into the livelihoods of families who depend on goat herding," explains Sergio Lazo, Coordinator of the Bosque Seco Project. "In turn, the goats feed on the forest's natural vegetation and provide the manure that helps protect the next generation of seeds."

This restoration experience in northern Peru contributes to reversing the degradation of dry forests while supporting the achievement of Peru's Voluntary Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) Target 1: recovering 7.5% of desertified, degraded, and drought-affected lands, while restoring at least 0.5% of degraded land annually.

Ultimately, the regeneration of every tree along Peru's northern coast is the result of a carefully woven process that extends far beyond simply planting trees. It involves restoring ecological processes, strengthening local knowledge, and reinforcing the social fabric of the communities that have long cared for these dry forests.

Looking beyond the photograph, behind every towering tree that purifies the air, regulates water, and sustains biodiversity lies a quiet effort that begins beneath our feet. The true celebration, therefore, is the daily commitment to nurturing life from its most humble beginning, ensuring that Peru's dry forests continue to thrive for generations to come.

©Proyecto Bosque Seco

About the project

Sustainable Management and Restoration of the Dry Forest of the Northern Coast of Peru (Bosque Seco) seeks to promote the conservation and recovery of the dry forests of Tumbes, Piura, Lambayeque, and La Libertad, strengthening the connectivity and resilience of these ecosystems, increasing the adaptive capacity of populations, and generating sustainable local livelihoods. The project’s local partners include the population of peasant or local communities, associated and individual local producers, local organizations, entrepreneurs, business owners, and government entities. 

The project is implemented through the following consortium: