Impacts of REDD+ through a local lens: Perspectives on well-being in the Peruvian Amazon

Key messages

• As one of the leading countries in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from land use, Peru has established a regulatory framework for compensation for emissions reductions through carbon markets.
• Compensation for emissions reductions through mechanisms such as REDD+ can potentially affect the economic and social well-being of the forest-dependent communities that are part of REDD+ projects.
• To assess the implications of REDD+ for local well-being, it is essential to understand local perspectives about what constitutes well-being and how REDD+ has affected it.
• In two REDD+ sites in the Peruvian Amazon, there is consensus that education and health are key dimensions of local well-being. The importance of other dimensions varies across groups, with more pronounced differences between sociocultural groups (rural vs. indigenous populations) than between genders (male-dominated vs. female groups).
• REDD+ did not have a consistent impact on locally identified dimensions of well-being. However, we found a negative impact on subjective well-being at one site, possibly due to a lack of transparency and unmet expectations around local benefits.

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