As part of the International Meeting “The Landscape of the Americas,” held on June 4 and 5, 2026, the Lima Declaration for Living and Resilient Landscapes in the Americas: A Roadmap Toward Landscape Policy and Legislation in Peru was signed. The document seeks to establish a comprehensive vision of landscape as a structuring element of the territory and promote the development of a national public policy in this field.
The declaration was signed by representatives of the Peruvian Association of Landscape Architecture (APP); the School of Architecture at Universidad de Lima and the UNESCO Chair on City, Landscape, and Heritage; the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA Americas); and the Latin American Landscape Initiative (LALI). The four institutions share a commitment to the management, protection, and advancement of landscapes in the region.
This document emerged from the discussions held during the International Meeting, which brought together experts, academics, and professionals from several countries to address the environmental, urban, and social challenges facing the Americas. It recognizes landscape as a living system in which nature, culture, and society converge, emphasizing its key role in addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, territorial inequality, and rapid urban growth.
It further recognizes Peru’s remarkable geographic and cultural diversity, with landscapes shaped by centuries of interaction between communities and their environment. It therefore calls for a more integrated approach that recognizes the ecological, cultural, social, and productive value of landscapes.
The principles outlined in the declaration include recognizing landscape as a collective right, essential infrastructure for sustainable development, an expression of cultural identity, and a tool for territorial resilience. The document also proposes a roadmap for incorporating a landscape approach into public policy, territorial planning, and climate change adaptation strategies.
The signatories also advocate for incorporating the ancestral knowledge and worldviews of Indigenous peoples into territorial management, recognizing heritage as a living and dynamic system, strengthening nature-based solutions, and progressively advancing toward a national landscape policy and regulatory framework in Peru.
The signing marks a milestone in advancing the landscape agenda in Peru and across the region. It also reaffirms the commitment of Universidad de Lima and the UNESCO Chair on City, Landscape, and Heritage to fostering more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient territories.
Signatories to the Lima Declaration
- Carmen Balarín de Iberico, Peruvian Association of Landscape Architecture (APP)
- Enrique Bonilla Di Tolla, School of Architecture at Universidad de Lima and UNESCO Chair on City, Landscape, and Heritage
- Rafael Dodera, International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA Americas)
- Martha Fajardo, Latin American Landscape Initiative (LALI)
