Since 2008, the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) has been financing climate and biodiversity projects in developing and newly industrialising countries, as well as in countries in transition. The IKI is a key element of Germany’s climate financing and the funding commitments in the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Initiative places clear emphasis on climate change mitigation, adaption to the impacts of climate change and the protection of biological diversity. These efforts provide various co-benefits, particularly the improvement of living conditions in partner countries.
The IKI focuses on four areas: mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to the impacts of climate change, conserving natural carbon sinks with a focus on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), as well as conserving biological diversity.
CIAT works in collaboration with hundreds of partners to help developing countries make farming more competitive, profitable, and resilient through smarter, more sustainable natural resource management. We help policymakers, scientists, and farmers respond to some of the most pressing challenges of our time, including food insecurity and malnutrition, climate change, and environmental degradation.
Our global research contributes to several of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and cuts across four key themes: big data, climate-smart agriculture, ecosystem action, and sustainable food systems. Our mission: Reduce hunger and poverty, and improve human nutrition in the tropics through research aimed at increasing the eco-efficiency of agriculture.
PIK, the Postdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, addresses crucial scientific questions in the fields of global change, climate impacts and sustainable development. Researchers from the natural and social sciences work together to generate interdisciplinary insights and to provide society with sound information for decision making. The main methodologies are systems and scenarios analysis, modelling, computer simulation, and data integration.
The Research Institute of the Peruvian Amazon (IIAP), is a science and technology research institution envisioned to achieve sustainable development for the Amazonian population, with an emphasis on the rural side, and specialized in conservation and the correct use of natural resources in the Amazonian region. IIAP carries out its activities in a decentralized manner, promoting the participation of institutions and organized civil society.
The Center Foundation for Research in Sustainable Agricultural Production Systems (CIPAV) is a nongovernmental organization with over 20 years of experience in the research, capacity building, and outreach necessary to construct sustainable agricultural production systems. CIPAV seeks to contribute to the sustainable development of the rural sector through investigation, management, development, and dissemination of environmentally friendly and productive alternatives.
The National Agrarian University of La Molina, is an educational institution specialized in the formation of professionals for the agricultural, silvicultural, livestock, fishing, food, and economics sectors. It is one of the largest and most well-known universities in the field of agricultural research within South America. For 30 years it has been linked to the development of sustainable agricultural systems, establishing relationships with agricultural communities within the department of Loreto, Peru. The university’s experience in the surveying of ecosystem services, as well as its ample knowledge about all different types of agricultural systems, will be a great benefit to the project.
The University of the Amazons, is an institution of higher education with standing social accreditation, renowned for and leader in the construction, appropriation, adaptation, implementation, and diffusion of academic, scientific, and investigative processes, as well as the protection of the community.
The university has carried out research and knowledge sharing activities with agricultural producers of the region for the past 15 years. This has allowed it to build strong relationships with farmers’ associations, which both contributes to the achievement of project objectives and furthers the pursuit of sustainable human development within the Amazonian region, the institutional vision of this academic entity.
The SINCHI Institute – an Amazonian scientific research institute, has over 15 years of experience in the development and implementation of sustainable production systems based on biodiversity, as well as in the establishment of sustainable productive landscapes in disrupted areas of the Northern Amazon, in addition to the characterization and classification of rural production systems and the design of sustainability indicators for these systems.
Coordination Team
Marcela Quintero
CIAT - Project Manager
Marcela Quintero
CIAT - Project Manager
Ecosystem Services Research Theme Leader, Decision and Policy Analysis Program. 14-year experience, core work on project formulation and implementation related to Payments for Ecosystem Services schemes design, and environmental impacts.
Miguel Romero
CIAT - Project Coordinator
Miguel Romero
CIAT - Project Coordinator
Agronomic Engineer, Masters in Crop Physiology. Experience in research within the Ecosystem Services group, in quantifying indicators of environmental impact such as the water footprint and carbon footprint of agricultural systems.
Antonio Solarte
SAL-CIPAV Coordinator
Antonio Solarte
SAL-CIPAV Coordinator
His work is related to the development of sustainable alternatives in production, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, and the development of economic methods for environmental management.
Juan Carlos Suarez
SAL-UNIAMAZ Coordinator
Juan Carlos Suarez
SAL-UNIAMAZ Coordinator
Masters in Agroforestry and doctoral candidate in the Biological Sciences, developing works in eco-physiology.
Jaime Barrera
SAL-SINCHI Coordinator
Jaime Barrera
SAL-SINCHI Coordinator
PhD in Biological Sciences, 20 years of scientific research experience in the Colombian Amazonia in biodiversity and conservation, crop physiology, ecological physiology, plant adaptations and stress, and productive landscapes and systems.
Dennis del Castillo
SAL-IIAP Coordinator in Peru
Dennis del Castillo
SAL-IIAP Coordinator in Peru
Dr. Dennis del Castillo is the Director of the Terrestrial Research Program at IIAP. He is an agronomic engineer with a Doctorate and Masters both focused in Agronomy, and over 30 years of global and local experience working with environmental issues, particularly related to forests.
Julio Cesar Alegre
SAL-UNALM Coordinator in Peru
Julio Cesar Alegre
SAL-UNALM Coordinator in Peru
Experience in research, education, and extension work in the management of tropical soils and the restoration of degraded soils with continuous crop systems, grasses, and agroforestry.
Dr. J. Kropp
SAL - PIK Focal point
Dr. J. Kropp
SAL - PIK Focal point
Professor Dr. Kropp is the Deputy Chair of Climate Impacts and Vulnerabilities at PIK and Director of Studies of Sustainability at Urstein University of Applied Sciences. He has over 25 years of experience in scientific studies oriented towards climate change and impact.
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International Center for Tropical Agriculture – CIAT
Marcela Quintero
CIAT - Project Manager
Marcela Quintero
CIAT - Project Manager
Ecosystem Services Research Theme Leader, Decision and Policy Analysis Program. 14-year experience, core work on project formulation and implementation related to Payments for Ecosystem Services schemes design, and environmental impacts
Miguel Romero
CIAT - Project Coordinator
Miguel Romero
CIAT - Project Coordinator
Agronomic Engineer, Masters in Crop Physiology. Experience in research within the Ecosystem Services group, in quantifying indicators of environmental impact such as the water footprint and carbon footprint of agricultural systems.
Karolina Argote
CIAT - Geographic Information Systems
Karolina Argote
CIAT - Geographic Information Systems
Agricultural engineer with a Masters in Geography. Expert in GIS planning, management, and database curating, and is in charge of the geo-analysis of landscape level data.
Gisella Cruz
CIAT - Participatory methods and socio-environmental analysis
Gisella Cruz
CIAT - Participatory methods and socio-environmental analysis
Biologist and social scientist, with experience in the study of rural communities’ knowledge, use, management, and valorization of ecosystem services; as well as their importance for food security and well-being.
Erwan Sachet
CIAT - Participatory methods and political analysis
Erwan Sachet
CIAT - Participatory methods and political analysis
Research assistent within Ecosystem Services CIAT, works with the social component (participatory methods, surveys) of the project.
Martha Vanegas
CIAT - Participatory methods and socio-environmental analysis
Martha Vanegas
CIAT - Participatory methods and socio-environmental analysis
Ecologist with an MSc in forest conservation – focus in politics and society – from Wageningen University. Currently is research assistant, working in the social component of the project SAL.
Carlos Navarro
CIAT - Climate change analysis
Carlos Navarro
CIAT - Climate change analysis
Agricultural Engineer. Provides scientific support in the understanding of the impacts of climate change over agro-ecosystems through the generation of high resolution climate projections and the impact modeling.
Lisset Pérez
CIAT - Socioeconomic analysis
Lisset Pérez
CIAT - Socioeconomic analysis
Economist from the University of Valle with a Masters in Economics from Icesi University. Currently works as a research assistant in CIAT for the Ecosystem Services and Impact Evaluation teams.
Chrystian Sosa
CIAT - Database, survey planning, and statistical analysis
Chrystian Sosa
CIAT - Database, survey planning, and statistical analysis
Biologist with five years of experience in bioinformatics (biodiversity) and data management. Is in charge of the implementation of socioeconomic surveys in mobile devices and their management.
Louis Reymondin
CIAT - Monitoring of changes in coverage and habitat (Terra-i system)
Louis Reymondin
CIAT - Monitoring of changes in coverage and habitat (Terra-i system)
Post-doctoral fellow at CIAT, has 10+ years of experience coordinating the Terra-i project and researches involving AI and data mining to better understand dynamics between human activities and the environment.
Paula Andrea Paz
CIAT - Monitoring of changes in coverage and habitat (Terra-i system)
Paula Andrea Paz
CIAT - Monitoring of changes in coverage and habitat (Terra-i system)
Topographical engineer with experience in monitoring deforestation, in charge of the analsysis of changes in coverage and use of soil, using Terra-i.
Jhon Jairo Tello
CIAT - Monitoring of changes in coverage and habitat (Terra-i system)
Jhon Jairo Tello
CIAT - Monitoring of changes in coverage and habitat (Terra-i system)
Experience in the development of the web platform and display data of Terra-i project. Has knowledge of different programming technologies for visualization of geospatial data and information in general.
Mirjam Pulleman
CIAT - Evaluation of soils
Mirjam Pulleman
CIAT - Evaluation of soils
Her research centers on the degradation of soil plus the processes and indicators of its restoration, participatory design of sustainable alternative uses of soil, and eco-efficient agro-ecosystems.
Cesar Botero
CIAT - Soils
Cesar Botero
CIAT - Soils
Professional with ten years of experience in soil sample taking in the field and three years in implementing methodologies and interpretation of the physical analysis of soils.
Jacobo Arango
CIAT - Forages
Jacobo Arango
CIAT - Forages
Scientist with the Tropical Forages Program at CIAT with experience on nitrogen and carbon cycling processes in tropical forage-based crop-tree-livestock systems. Also working on forage quality and reduction of GHG.
Mauricio Sotelo
CIAT - Forages and animal production
Mauricio Sotelo
CIAT - Forages and animal production
Agricultural engineer, Scientist in the Tropical Forages program, experience in germoplasm research for the restoration of degraded soils and for animal feed.
Patrick Lavelle
CIAT (Consultant) - Ecologist
Patrick Lavelle
CIAT (Consultant) - Ecologist
Ecologist and educator, proposes a theoretical and practical vision of the functioning and management of tropical soils. Proposes a reorganization of agricultural landscapes in order to optimally provide ecosystem services.
Diksha Arora
CIAT - Analysis of gendered time poverty
Diksha Arora
CIAT - Analysis of gendered time poverty
Gender Postdoctoral fellow. Research interests in intra-household dynamics among agricultural households, particularly the analysis of gendered time poverty and its consequences on household food security in Africa and Latin America.
Tatiana Gumucio
CIAT - Gender integration
Tatiana Gumucio
CIAT - Gender integration
PhD in Anthropology from the University of Florida. Postdoctoral researcher in CIAT and support for the integration of gender in the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees, and Agroforestry.
Natalie Orentlicher
CIAT - Dissemination and Research Communications
Natalie Orentlicher
CIAT - Dissemination and Research Communications
Works on research communications and dissemination for the project SAL. Global experience in scientific research communications in both Southeast Asia and Latin America.
Foundation CIPAV
Antonio Solarte
SAL-CIPAV Coordinator
Antonio Solarte
SAL-CIPAV Coordinator
His work is related to the development of sustainable alternatives in production, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services, and the development of economic methods for environmental management.
Catalina Zapata
CIPAV - Technology dissemination to ag. producers, participatory methods
Catalina Zapata
CIPAV - Technology dissemination to ag. producers, participatory methods
Experience in environmental regulation and planning, biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services. Also in design and implementation of ‘Payment for Environmental Services’ schemes and the developmental of agroforestry and silvopastoral systems.
Mayerly Rivera
CIPAV - Technology dissemination to ag. producers, participatory methods
Mayerly Rivera
CIPAV - Technology dissemination to ag. producers, participatory methods
Medical veterinary zootechnician from the University of the Amazon. Works as professional support in the processes of reconverting livestock farming back to silvopastoral systems.
University of the Amazon – UNIAMAZ
Juan Carlos Suarez
SAL-UNIAMAZ Coordinator
Juan Carlos Suarez
SAL-UNIAMAZ Coordinator
Masters in Agroforestry and doctoral candidate in the Biological Sciences, developing works in eco-physiology.
Fáver Álvarez
UNIAMAZ - Nutrition quality and productivity of forages
Fáver Álvarez
UNIAMAZ - Nutrition quality and productivity of forages
Masters in Agroforestry and doctoral candidate in the Natural Sciences and Sustainable Development. Design of silvopastoral alternatives.
Yolanda Cuellar
UNIAMAZ - Socioeconomic component
Yolanda Cuellar
UNIAMAZ - Socioeconomic component
Public accountant, Masters in Rural Development, support in the surveying of socioeconomic information.
Adrian Rico
UNIAMAZ - Biophysical component
Adrian Rico
UNIAMAZ - Biophysical component
Agro-ecological engineer, Masters in Agroforestry. Helping to create a methodology for sampling of soils, macro fauna and the surveying of (forest) boundaries and coverage.
Katherine Angel
UNIAMAZ - Social component
Katherine Angel
UNIAMAZ - Social component
Agro-ecological engineer, Masters in Agroforestry. Helping with the construction of tools such as surveys, participatory workshops, and socioeconomic indicators.
Institute SINCHI
Jaime Barrera
SAL-SINCHI Coordinator
Jaime Barrera
SAL-SINCHI Coordinator
PhD in Biological Sciences, 20 years of scientific research experience in the Colombian Amazonia in biodiversity and conservation, crop physiology, ecological physiology, plant adaptations and stress, and productive landscapes and systems.
Sandra Castro
SINCHI
Sandra Castro
SINCHI
Research Institute of the Peruvian Amazon – IIAP
Dennis del Castillo
SAL-IIAP Coordinator in Peru
Dennis del Castillo
SAL-IIAP Coordinator in Peru
Dr. Dennis del Castillo is the Director of the Terrestrial Research Program at IIAP. He is an agronomic engineer with a Doctorate and Masters both focused in Agronomy, and over 30 years of global and local experience working with environmental issues, particularly related to forests.
Eurídice Honorio
IIAP - Carbon Sequestration
Eurídice Honorio
IIAP - Carbon Sequestration
Doctorate from the University of Leeds. Research experience in Amazonian forests, vegetation and carbon inventories, tree species determination, molecular data processing, and populations phylogeography and genetics.
Luis Alberto Arevalo
IIAP - Agroforestry systems
Luis Alberto Arevalo
IIAP - Agroforestry systems
Reynaldo Solis
IIAP - SAL Coordinator in Yurimaguas
Reynaldo Solis
IIAP - SAL Coordinator in Yurimaguas
Biologist with experience in tropical crops and sustainable development in the Amazon.
Absalón Zamora
IIAP - Researcher
Absalón Zamora
IIAP - Researcher
Environmental engineer, with experience in monitoring carbon stocks and flows in primary forests and landscapes with anthropogenic intervention
National University Agrarian La Molina – UNALM
Julio Cesar Alegre
SAL-UNALM Coordinator in Peru
Julio Cesar Alegre
SAL-UNALM Coordinator in Peru
Experience in research, education, and extension work in the management of tropical soils and the restoration of degraded soils with continuous crop systems, grasses, and agroforestry.
Ceila Paquita Lao
UNALM - Soils
Ceila Paquita Lao
UNALM - Soils
Engineer in Renewable Natural Resources and Masters in Soils. Work experience in the application of methodologies for the physical and chemical analysis of soils, the evaluation of conservation projects, and the management of soils in agroforestry systems.
Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research – PIK
Dr. J. Kropp
SAL-PIK Focal Point
Dr. J. Kropp
SAL-PIK Focal Point
Professor Dr. Kropp is the Deputy Chair of Climate Impacts and Vulnerabilities at PIK and Director of Studies of Sustainability at Urstein University of Applied Sciences. He has over 25 years of experience in scientific studies oriented towards climate change and impact.
Prajal Pradhan
PIK - Climate Impacts & Vulnerabilities
Prajal Pradhan
PIK - Climate Impacts & Vulnerabilities
Experience in conducting research in the fields of agriculture, food security, climate change, socioecological systems, ecosystem services, biodiversity, and sustainability.
Wei Weng
PIK - Ecosystem services evaluation
Wei Weng
PIK - Ecosystem services evaluation
PhD student, Sustainable South America (SUSA). Research Interests: Land surface processes, Land-atmosphere interaction, Regional climate, Geomorphology, Natural hazards, Global climate change
Desiree Dörr
PIK - Livelihoods
Desiree Dörr
PIK - Livelihoods
PhD student , M.Sc. Applied Physical Geography.
David Landholm
PIK - GHG Emissions
David Landholm
PIK - GHG Emissions
Student Researchers
Marcela Beltran
CIAT - Analysis of vulnerability to climate change
Marcela Beltran
CIAT - Analysis of vulnerability to climate change
Experienced in topics of biodiversity conservation and vulnerability and adaptation to climate change. Her thesis consists of evaluating exposure, vulnerability and ethno-entomological knowledge for the creation of adaptation strategies.
Ana Maria Ospina
CIAT - Socioeconomic analysis
Ana Maria Ospina
CIAT - Socioeconomic analysis
Economics student. Experience as a research assistant in the group Regional and Environmental Economics, and as a monitor in the economics program.
Ervin Duran
UNIAMAZ - Identification of termites
Ervin Duran
UNIAMAZ - Identification of termites
Establishment of indicators from termites as ecosystem services.
Victor Hugo Calderon
UNIAMAZ - Economic component
Victor Hugo Calderon
UNIAMAZ - Economic component
Agro-ecological engineer, Masters in Agroforestry. Responsible for the surveying of socioeconomic information from Morelia-Caqueta municipal.
Leonardo Rodríguez
UNIAMAZ - Soil physics and macrofauna
Leonardo Rodríguez
UNIAMAZ - Soil physics and macrofauna
Agro-ecological engineer, Masters in Agroforestry. Support in the classification of physical properties and identification of macrofauna.
Lised Guaca
UNIAMAZ - Chemistry and biochemistry of soils
Lised Guaca
UNIAMAZ - Chemistry and biochemistry of soils
Chemist, Masters student in Agroforestry. Responsible for the development of a standardization in methods of the chemical and biochemical analysis of soils in eco-physiological laboratories.
Ginna Zuñiga
UNIAMAZ - Chemistry and biochemistry of soils
Ginna Zuñiga
UNIAMAZ - Chemistry and biochemistry of soils
Food engineer. Responsible for the development of a standardization in methods of the chemical and biochemical analysis of soils in eco-physiological laboratories.
Norma Castaño
UNIAMAZ - Food science determination of forages
Norma Castaño
UNIAMAZ - Food science determination of forages
Medical veterinarian and zootechnician, Masters student in Agroforestry.
Diego Losada
UNIAMAZ - Food science determination of forages
Diego Losada
UNIAMAZ - Food science determination of forages
Medical veterinarian and zootechnician, Masters student in sustainable production systems.
Sthefania Benavides
UNIAMAZ - Chemistry and biochemistry of soils
Sthefania Benavides
UNIAMAZ - Chemistry and biochemistry of soils
Agroforestry engineer, Masters student in sustainable production systems, development of a standardization in methods of the chemical and biochemical analysis of soils in eco-physiological laboratories.
Jhon Eduar Noriega
UNIAMAZ - Chemistry and biochemistry of soils
Jhon Eduar Noriega
UNIAMAZ - Chemistry and biochemistry of soils
Agro-ecological engineer, responsible for the production of organic fertilizers and involved in the determination of physical and chemical soil properties.
Amara Contreras
UNIAMAZ - Chemistry and biochemistry of soils
Amara Contreras
UNIAMAZ - Chemistry and biochemistry of soils
Agro-ecological engineering student, involved in the determination of physical and chemical soil properties.
Grecia Guillén
UNALM – Land use changes
Grecia Guillén
UNALM – Land use changes
Environmental Engineering student, participates in the project SAL in the evaluation of different vegetative land covers as indicators of change in land use.
Jesús Marín
UNALM – Biodiversity and carbon stocks
Jesús Marín
UNALM – Biodiversity and carbon stocks
Forestry engineering student, responsible for the evaluation and modelling of the influence of structural complexity and site factors in arboreal land covers under anthropogenic intervention in relation to carbon stocks.
Klinton Erazo
UNALM – Evaluation of carbon stocks
Klinton Erazo
UNALM – Evaluation of carbon stocks
Student of environmental engineering, working on the evaluation of the effects of topography and soil type on the variotion of carbon stock in different vegetative land covers.
Marco Linares
UNALM - Evaluation of carbon stocks
Marco Linares
UNALM - Evaluation of carbon stocks
Agronomy student, participates in the evaluation of the effects of oil palm plantation on carbon stocks.
Misael Saldaña
UNALM - Evaluation of carbon stocks
Misael Saldaña
UNALM - Evaluation of carbon stocks
Agronomy student, participates in the evaluation of carbon content in leaf litter in different vegetative land covers.
Reyser Sánchez
UNALM -Evaluation of carbon stocks
Reyser Sánchez
UNALM -Evaluation of carbon stocks
Agronomy student, participates in the evaluation of carbon capture potential of cacao plantations.
