Thousands of teachers, students, children and families from the Yarinacocha district of Ucayali are being trained to operate an innovative aquaponics system recently installed there
Beyond2020, a humanitarian initiative led by the United Arab Emirates, expanded its global reach with its first deployment in Latin America, impacting the lives of more than 5,000 indigenous people in Peru’s Ucayali.
The Amazon region of Peru has been rapidly deforested due to climate change, industrial timber extraction, oil exploration and cattle ranching.
Much of the land has been converted from rainforest to grassland, and the fish catches of the Ucayali River have been depleted, while the number of viable fruit trees is declining. Young people from the region often relocate to urban centers in search of better education and job opportunities.
Through the Beyond2020 initiative, approximately 2,000 teachers, students, children and families in the Yarinacocha district of Ucayali are being trained in the operation of an innovative aquaponics system recently installed there, which will significantly improve the food security of more than 5,000 natives while preserving the region’s environment. rich biodiversity.
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Following in the footsteps of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the United Arab Emirates, Beyond2020 – launched by the Zayed Prize for Sustainability in partnership with several leading organizations – aims to continue his humanitarian legacy by donating technology and durable solutions to vulnerable communities around the world. world.
Beyond2020 has appointed INMED Partnerships for Children, an international non-profit humanitarian development organization and 2020 Zayed Prize for Sustainability finalist in the food category, to deploy its commercial-scale aquaponics system (Aquaponics Social Enterprise Model) on the campus of Peru’s largest indigenous teacher training institute, the Center of Excellence of the Bilingual Higher Pedagogical Institute of Yarinacocha.
Mohamed Abdulla Ali Khater Alshamsi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Peru, said the Beyond2020 project in Peru offers the indigenous peoples of Ucayali a sustainable and comprehensive solution covering clean energy, food production and water.
“It brings long-term social and economic benefits by emphasizing the promotion of knowledge exchange and training that aims to equip the local community with the skills and know-how needed to advance its economic development. .”
The INMED Aquaponics Center combines fish farming (aquaculture) with vegetable production (hydroponics) in a closed-circulation system that grows organic vegetables at a production rate 10 times higher than traditional agricultural production, while using 90% less water and 75% less energy. than conventional and mechanized agriculture. The center produces food all year round. It is climate resistant and adaptable to any space constraints.
“The deployment notably addresses climate change, not just in terms of the solution itself, but by raising awareness in the community about the power of aquaponics to mitigate its worst effects on indigenous peoples and beyond,” Alshamsi said.
The crops will provide food for the local primary school and the surrounding community, increasing the nutritional value of school meals and the dietary diversity of students. It is the first aquaponics center in the Peruvian Amazon and the region’s first fully solar-powered facility.
The center offers technical workshops and training to foster the development of technical skills among local students, teachers-in-training, educators, researchers and community members. The solution is part of a larger effort to support the local indigenous population in remote areas of Ucayali who suffer from high rates of food insecurity caused by soil erosion and deforestation originating human.
Beyond2020 brings together several leading partners, including the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), Mubadala Petroleum and Masdar.
Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of ADFD, noted that through the deployment, the Fund has provided a sustainable and modern solution and tool for indigenous communities in Peru to address food insecurity.
“While Peru has made great strides in recent years to improve food security across the country, communities in remote areas are most at risk of food security and nutrition issues. The installation of the aquaponics system at Ucayali has been invaluable in supporting the country’s inclusive sustainable development goals, and we look forward to seeing the centre’s impact on the community grow further in the years to come,” Al Suwaidi added. .