Gran Pajatén is recognized worldwide as Peru's 5th Biosphere Reserve

The expansion of the renovated Northwest-Amotape-Mangroves Biosphere Reserve was also approved, which will now include the Tumbes Mangroves National Sanctuary. The good news keeps coming. Since Saturday, March 19, Peru has a fifth biosphere reserve: Gran Pajatén, which spans 2,509,698.84 hectares across the departments of Amazonas, La Libertad, and San Martín, in northeastern Peru. Thus, the Gran Pajatén Biosphere Reserve becomes the first in South America to have a Mixed World Heritage Site (natural and cultural), having as its core area the Abiseo River National Park (San Martín), a protected natural area that preserves the greatest manifestation of the Chachapoyas culture: the Gran Pajatén archaeological site, comparable in global significance to the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu. The proposal was presented by the National Service of Natural Protected Areas by the State (SERNANP) within the framework of the XXVIII International Coordination Council of the MAB Program, which took place in Lima on March 18 and 19. The meeting also approved the expansion of the renovated Amotape-Manglares Northwest Biosphere Reserve, which will now include the Los Manglares de Tumbes National Sanctuary.