K’erenda Zambrano, the young environmentalist promoting the Escazú Agreement

Daughter of Víctor Zambrano and Rosa Herrera, K’erenda Zambrano has turned her love for the forest into action, standing out as a socio-environmental activist from the Private Conservation Area (ACP) inherited from her parents, which bears her name: “Refugio K’erenda Homet” in Tambopata, Madre de Dios. Her entrepreneurial spirit also led her to win a spot and currently be part of the second generation of Escazú Champions, an initiative organized by the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (SPDA) and Ambiente y Sociedad, both members of the Access Initiative (TAI). This program seeks to raise awareness and drive action around the Escazú Agreement.

Organizations like SPDA have emphasized the importance of this landmark international treaty for access rights to information, public participation, and environmental justice. It is also the first treaty in Latin America and the Caribbean that recognizes and protects environmental defenders. Since Peru is not among the countries that have ratified the agreement, K’erenda Zambrano’s participation as an Escazú Champion is even more remarkable and worthy of greater visibility, aiming to bring the agreement onto the political agenda and support its implementation for the benefit of our defenders and the territories they protect.

After a generational gap, in November 2023, Peru returned to the Escazú Champions program, represented by K’erenda Zambrano, who was selected along with other young leaders from Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Honduras—all focused on developing environmental projects to promote the Escazú Agreement. K’erenda’s goal is to explain the importance of this treaty in a “more dynamic way,” using art as a communication tool. She has designed outreach activities targeting young people through mural painting, environmental films, and other creative approaches that help bring this topic closer to schools and communities in Madre de Dios, especially those affected by illegal mining.

As a committed leader in environmental conservation and sustainable tourism, K’erenda Zambrano aims to build an active community dedicated to protecting the Amazon’s biodiversity. As a result of her work, K’erenda was awarded during the 9th edition of “Protagonistas del Cambio” by the Peruvian University of Applied Sciences (UPC) in 2019, in recognition of her outstanding role as a social change agent in the Madre de Dios region.

Currently, this young activist serves as the general coordinator of the collective “Generación Verde”, a space for dialogue and reflection to address the socio-environmental challenges of Madre de Dios. She also shares her work, daily struggles, and ecotourism opportunities through TikTok, but her most important mission as a Champion is to continue promoting the Escazú Agreement with the firm conviction of helping build environmental democracy in Peru, starting with her own community in Tambopata and focusing especially on youth.