Por: Ricardo Ayllón Merma, Southern Perú Copper Corporation.

The Cerco Vivo project is an environmental and social initiative implemented in the Pampa Cachendo area, within the surroundings of the Tía María mining project, in Islay Province, Arequipa Region. Its main objective is the progressive restoration of the coastal-desert ecosystem through the installation of living fences made up of native, well-adapted species such as huaranguillo (Acacia horrida), tara (Caesalpinia spinosa), and molle (Schinus molle).

Implemented through the Forestry and Forest Nursery Service, operated by Inka Mikhuna Perú, and as part of Southern Peru Copper Corporation’s Trabajo Digno social program, the project also promotes the creation of formal local employment. To date, more than 200 residents of the Tambo Valley have been engaged in activities including nursery management, planting, irrigation, and maintenance.

 The project incorporates Nature-based Solutions (NbS), including fog collectors to capture moisture from the atmosphere, solar panels to power the drip irrigation system, and biopolymers that reduce water use by up to 30%.

 These technologies, together with the appropriate selection of plant species, have enabled the revegetation of 19 linear kilometers of living fences under Cerco Vivo I, with Cerco Vivo II set to follow with further detailed implementation.

 Overall, the project seeks not only to improve the ecological conditions of the area, but also to strengthen ties between the company and the community and lay the groundwork for a replicable model of sustainable mining and ecological restoration in arid areas of the country.