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In recent years, Peru has faced severe forest fires, resulting in extensive loss of tree cover across thousands of hectares. However, in a notable contrast to this broader trend, certain Indigenous communities are experiencing a decrease in the number and severity of these blazes. Central to this positive development are the forest protectors of Paamari, an initiative deeply rooted in Indigenous stewardship and modern technology combined.
One key figure in this effort is Romer Quentimari Garcia, a member of the Asháninka Indigenous community residing near the confluence of the Ene and Tambo rivers in Osherato, Peru. As a certified brigadista—firefighter trained in specialized skills—Garcia utilizes satellite data, drones, and radio communication to detect and suppress fires promptly. He describes the process: “Over these past few years, we’ve been keeping a close watch. We’re observing the changes across all the communities and whenever we see smoke appearing, we go out to check whether it’s a wildfire or a controlled burn. We support to put the fire out faster, because in each community, we are all brothers. We are the ones who take care of the forest.” This community-driven vigilance stems from his involvement in the Paamari program, which launched in 2023 as a partnership between the Central Asháninka of the Ene River (CARE) and the climate charity Cool Earth.
The program integrates preventative tactics, early-warning systems, safe burning practices, and rapid fire response methods. Since its inception, the number of wildfires across the 45 communities participating in CARE has dramatically decreased from 25 incidents in 2023 to just nine in 2024. This translated into a reduction of burned area from 2,648 hectares to 492 hectares, marking an 81% drop. Remarkably, by 2025, no wildfires occurred in the territory, with communities successfully managing all fire threats. These successes stand in stark contrast to the wider national and global context—two years prior, Peru faced the worst wildfire season ever recorded, triggered by an unprecedented drought that led to over 10,000 fires and 63,000 hectares of forest loss. Similarly, Europe has suffered record-breaking wildfire devastation with massive evacuations and areas burned comparable to the size of Cyprus.
David Torres, a coordinator and monitoring expert with CARE, attributes the project’s achievements to the combination of Indigenous traditional knowledge and cutting-edge technology. “Modern tools and modern equipment are very important, but that has to be integrated with traditional knowledge, the knowledge that brigadistas have of their own territory,” he explains. This approach is especially crucial in challenging terrain where national firefighting teams cannot respond swiftly. Indigenous communities become the vital first and final responders. Yet, government policies often conflict with these practices; for instance, all burning is restricted without permits, including traditional, controlled burns essential for crop management. Punitive enforcement includes threats of prison, community service, and fines, demonstrating a lack of recognition for ancestral expertise.
Julio Acosta, forest data manager at Cool Earth, emphasizes the importance of community ownership for the longevity of such projects: “If you want to ensure that a project sustains over time, I think it’s important that local people are going to own that project. You need to involve local communities on the design, so that they feel it’s part of their community, that it’s something they really want to do. Otherwise, it will always depend on the external actor that brought that idea. When the project ends, that’s when the real challenge comes.” Embracing this principle, Cool Earth plans to expand its fire prevention training to neighboring communities such as Cutivireni and Oviri, with Indigenous leadership continuing to play a central role. The growing recognition of Indigenous stewardship’s effectiveness is supported by academic research showing that Indigenous-managed lands often perform as well as, or better than, officially protected areas in conserving ecosystems. While acknowledging that forest fire management alone cannot solve all deforestation challenges—including mining, logging, and illicit crop cultivation—Acosta maintains that empowering Indigenous firefighting programs is a crucial piece of the larger conservation puzzle.
For Romer Quentimari Garcia, the motivation behind these efforts is deeply cultural and spiritual: “It’s important to take care of our forest. That’s where we get our wood, our crafts, our crowns. That’s why it is important to us, to conserve what we have in our culture. The forest is life.” This holistic view reflects a
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