Award for Wetland Innovation

Ms Carla Ximena Giraldo Malca of Peru is recognized for her work with the Municipal Authority for the sustainability of the Pantanos de Villa wetland. Her contributions have helped to ensure that the voices of children as “Guardians of the Pantanos de Villa” are recognized and that they are included by law in decisions to protect these marshlands.

The Pantanos de Villa in the centre of Lima is a critical habitat for endangered species and provides ecosystem services for local communities. Today, it is under threat from human-induced activities that affect its ecological character. Six out of ten visitors to the Pantanos de Villa were children, yet they were excluded from discussions or proposals relating to its conservation. 

Since 2019, the Municipal Authority of Pantanos de Villa, in coordination with the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima, has been promoting the practice of "Guardians of the Pantanos de Villa". This is the first scheme in Peru, and one of the first in the world, that provides children a voice to act in favour of the conservation of a natural area. Through the “Guardians of the Pantanos de Villa", Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child has been fulfilled.