1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Lima (FUA)
Region
Latin America and the Caribbean
Native title of the NBS intervention
Vivero de Plantas Medicinales y Alimenticias
Short description of the intervention
The World Health Organization estimates that 80% of the population in developing countries use medicinal plants for health prevention and care, primarily in rural areas (3). These plant species have therapeutic potential in treating various diseases, and they are considered safe and effective medications with fewer side effects and affordable prices (3). In Peru, medicinal plants have historically been used to treat respiratory, gastrointestinal, and digestive ailments. To this day, they continue to be used by both native and urban communities (3).
To promote, develop, and encourage research, innovation, and technologies related to the use, preservation, conservation, and employment of medicinal and food plants, the National Center for Social and Intercultural Research in Health (CENSI) of the National Institute of Health (INS) has inaugurated its medicinal and food plant nursery located in one of its facilities (Chorrillos) in Lima (1, 3). The primary objective of this project is to adapt various species from the coast, mountains, and jungle of the country and initiate a plant production program that contributes to improving public health, environmental quality and the revitalization of the ancestral knowledge of indigenous, Amazonian, Andean, and Afro-Peruvian communities (1). Additionally, it aims to contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change by creating green areas, reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels through plant photosynthesis, improving soil quality, and promoting the responsible use of water resources, among others (3).
For the development of this project, the INS is working in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration to benefit not only the health and well-being of the Peruvian community but also promote the integration and care of the migrant population in the country (2).
Website of the intervention
https://boletin.ins.gob.pe/wp-content/uploads/2023/V29N6/a03v29n6.pdf
Principal problems
Environmental Degradation
Soil degradation and loss
Poor water quality
Implementation area characterization
Climate
Arid (Desert, Steppe)
Ecosystem
Urban or built environment
Address

Av. Defensores del Morro 2268 - Perú
Chorrillos
Peru

Location
Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place
Area boundary (map-based)
NBS area
4000.00m²
Area description
Urban (main city)
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Other
Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS
Public institution facilities
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2023
End date of the intervention
ongoing
Present stage of the intervention
Ongoing
Objectives of the intervention
Goals of the intervention
- To cultivate plants to improve health and prevent disease (1)
- To implement a crop production programme that contributes to improving the population's health, the quality of the environment and the revival of the ancestral knowledge of indigenous, Amazonian, Andean and Afro-Peruvian communities (1, 3).
- To promote and disseminate the safe use of medicinal plants and produce medicinal and food plant seedlings for distribution to local communities, especially vulnerable groups (1, 2, 3).
- To ensure sustainable urban development and contribute to the growth of green spaces (1)
- To contribute to the preservation, conservation and sustainable cultivation of medicinal and food plants (1, 2, 3)
- Contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change by reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels through plant photosynthesis, improving soil quality, and promoting the responsible use of water resources, among others (3).
- To promote strategies to revitalise traditional medicine and the safe use of medicinal plants (3)
Key Priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation)
Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration)
Social Justice and community
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Climate change mitigation
Environmental quality
Air quality improvement
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Green space creation and/or management
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Preservation of natural heritage
Promotion of cultural diversity
Preservation of historic traditions
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Improving physical health
Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
Social justice and equity
Environmental education
Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
Sustainable production
Food scarcity / security
Climate change mitigation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Increase the availability of green urban space for carbon storage (street tree cover)
Install vertical or horizontal artificial surfaces that help with carbon storage and cooling
Raise public awareness of behaviours, lifestyle and cultural changes with mitigation potential
Implementation activities and NBS focus
Implementation activities
For the nursery's implementation, the distribution of the areas for the cultivation of cuttings, propagation, growth, adaptation, and maintenance, as well as the access routes to the nursery, were designed. The land was levelled and cleared, an irrigation system was installed, organic matter was added to the soil, and the plants were planted. So far, 15 species have been planted (3).
For maintenance, professionals are involved in the development of cultivation, propagation and validation of the taxonomic identity of each species in the nursery to contribute to research and technology transfer (1, 3). In addition, processes of adaptation and care of each species are carried out to ensure their preservation and to continue enriching the herbarium of medicinal plants (1).
Regarding the social impact of the project, joint efforts are being made between the INS and the IOM to prioritise the distribution of medicinal and food plants produced in the nursery to the most vulnerable population (1, 2).
Finally, to meet the objectives of promoting and revitalising traditional medicine and the safe use of medicinal plants, health fairs are being organised in which seedlings of medicinal species from the nursery are distributed to the general population (3).
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
Creation of any other green urban spaces
Knowledge creation and awareness raising
Sustainable use of natural resources to improve livelihoods and food security (eg. community- based wildlife or forest management)
Indigenous and community-based conservation initiatives
Educational and awareness raising programs
Scientific research of biodiversity or ecosystems
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Community gardens and allotments
Other
Please specify "other allotments and community gardens"
Plant nursery: medicinal plants
Amenities offered by the NBS
Unknown
Design elements for well-being
None of the above
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Provisioning services
Food for human consumption (crops, vegetables)
Raw materials
Medicinal resources
Regulating services
Carbon storage/sequestration
Habitat and supporting services
Maintenance of genetic diversity
Cultural services
Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)
Spiritual and / or emblematic (symbolic, sacred and / or religious)
Scale
Spatial scale
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Demographics in implementation area
Chorrillos is located in the Department of Lima, Province of Lima, on the Peruvian coast by the sea (Pacific Ocean), at an approximate distance of 20 km from the centre of the city of Lima (6). According to Census, in 2017, it had 314,241 inhabitants, and as of the data collected in 2020, 351,582 inhabitants live in this district. Forty-nine per cent of its population is female and 51 per cent is male. The population density is approximately 8,798.60 inhabitants per km2 (6).
It is a district with mixed-income households (7). There are urban areas with houses that have all the basic services, but it has peripheral areas where there are neighbourhoods with informal construction systems, as most of them are built on vacant land, and are built with precarious construction materials (6).
Socio-economic profile of the area
Mixed income
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Unknown
Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities
Minority or marginalized ethnic groups
Non-government actors
Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches
Researchers, university
Primary Beneficiaries
Researchers/University
Citizens or community groups
Marginalized groups
Specify primary beneficiaries
The programme aims to initiate a plant production programme that contributes to improving the health of the population, in general, the quality of the environment and the revaluation of the ancestral knowledge of indigenous, Amazonian, Andean and Afro-Peruvian communities (1, 3). Additionally, the Migration and Health Unit of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is working in collaboration with the INS to distribute medicinal and food plants to the most vulnerable population (1, 2).
When it comes to research and academy, one of the functions of the National Centre for Social and Intercultural Health Research (CENSI) of the National Health Institute (INS) is to promote, develop and encourage research, innovation and technologies related to the use, preservation, conservation and use of medicinal and food plants. So researchers and specialized scholars are working towards this goal (1, 3).
Marginalized groups
Refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants
Measures for inclusion of marginalised groups
The National Institute of Health and the IOM are working together to promote and disseminate the safe use of medicinal plants, as well as the production of seedlings of medicinal and food species for distribution, both in the local community and among the Venezuelan migrant population. (1, 2).
Specify measures taken for vulnerable or marginalized communities
Provision of resources tailored to the unique challenges faced by vulnerable or marginalized groups
Other beneficiaries
Native plant vegetation
Ecosystem services (e.g. improved air quality, water purification)
Public health (e.g. increased physical activity opportunities, reduced stress)
Governance
Governance arrangements
Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS) through the Centro Nacional de Investigación Social e Interculturalidad en Salud (CENSI): funding and implementing actors of the project. They have a team of experts who are responsible for the maintenance of the nursery (1, 3)
Migration and Health Unit of the International Organization for Migration (IOM): collaborator of the project, providing non-financial resources and supporting the execution of its social impact goals (1, 2)
Ministry of Environment and CENSI Botanical Garden: project support. Both stakeholders were present at the inauguration of the nursery (1)
Departments of Integrated Health Networks of Lima, Ministry of Environment, Armed Forces and National Police: stakeholders supporting the distribution of plants in health fairs and events (3)
Key actors - initiating organization
Public sector institution
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Public sector institution
Non-government organisation/civil society
Citizens or community group
Researchers/university
Multilateral organisation
Stages of citizen and community engagement
Reporting and dissemination of project results
Level of citizen and community engagement
Unknown
Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives
Other
Please specify other form of Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives
Spaces for the dissemination, promotion and revaluation of medicinal plants and their uses are being organised through congresses, fairs and events (3)
Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders)
Dissemination of information and education
Uncommon actors ("Missing actors")
Community & Social Groups
Minority rights organizations/ representatives
Public Services
Public health and care
Ministry of Defence / military and law enforcement authorities
Other entities with special purposes
Botanic gardens
Land owners
Other
Please specify other landowner
Pubic sector institution facilities
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"
It is not specified whether the nursery is done according to a specific law, but the work of the CENSI (implementing agent) around Medicinal Plants is based on the Law for the Sustainable Use of Medicinal Plants (Law N°27300), which gives it specific competencies in the field of Traditional Medicine (4).
Relevant strategy or plan
Other
Please specify other local relevant strategy
Sustainable Use of Medicinal Plants
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Please specify other type of voluntary intervention
Education and health: Preservation of ancestral knowledge; Safe consumption of medicinal plants
Enablers & Barriers
Type of enablers
Technological innovations
NBS research project (e.g., H2020, Urban Living Labs, national research projects)
Other
Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives.
The National Centre for Social and Intercultural Health Research (CENSI) of the National Institute of Health (INS) has been involved in the promotion, development and encouragement of research, innovation and technologies related to the use, preservation, conservation and exploitation of medicinal and food plants (1, 3)
The National Centre for Social and Intercultural Health Research (CENSI) of the National Institute of Health (INS) has implemented botanical gardens and programmes aimed at encouraging the monitoring of local plants and the preservation of traditions and culture around them (1, 3, 4).
It is not specified whether the nursery is done according to a specific law, but the work of the CENSI (implementing agent) around Medicinal Plants is based on the Law for the Sustainable Use of Medicinal Plants (Law N°27300), which gives it specific competencies in the field of Traditional Medicine (4).
Governace and decison-making instruments
Legislative and regulatory instruments (e.g. laws, strategies, regulations or restrictions)
Educational and knowledge sharing instruments (e.g. science/ living labs, awareness raising campaigns, specific educational programs, green hubs)
Arrangements for governance cooperation
Formal coordination mechanisms to oversee project implementation and decision-making (e.g., multi-stakeholder steering committees, working groups)
Task forces or commissions (e.g. group of multi-disciplinary experts)
Information-sharing platforms or networks (e.g. websites for sharing best practices, data or resources pertinent to the project)
Barriers
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
€10,000 - €50,000
Please specify total cost (EUR)
17941,96 EUR
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
17941,96 EUR
Source(s) of funding
Public local authority budget
Type of fund(s) used
Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
Yes
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
Other
Please specify other source of non-financial contribution
Multilateral Organisation (International Organization for Migration)
Centro Nacional de Investigación Social e Interculturalidad en Salud (National Centre for Social Research and Interculturality in Health): CENSI botanical gardens of medicinal plants
Type of non-financial contribution
Provision of land
Provision of goods
Provision of labour
Provision of expertise
Co-finance for NBS
Unknown
Entrepreneurship opportunities
No
Business models
Business models
Green health model
Green heritage model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation)
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Green space and habitat
Increased green space area
Achieved increased green space area
Increased number of species present
Achieved increased number of species present
Other
Please specify other environmental impact
Preservation of Medicinal Species: Achieved
Description of environmental benefits
-Increased green space area: "This nursery was implemented in the Chorrillos branch of the INS, in an area of approximately 4000 m2" (3)
-Increased number of species present & Preservation of Medicinal Species: "The nursery currently has 15 medicinal and food species, the number of which is increasing according to demand." (3)
Environmental impact indicators
Total number of vascular plant species protected or introduced
15 species of plants being cultivated
Green space area created (in ha)
0,4
Economic impacts
Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
Expected increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
Description of economic benefits
- Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions): For maintenance, professionals are involved in the development of cultivation, propagation and validation of the taxonomic identity of each species in the nursery to contribute to research and technology transfer (1, 3).
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
Expected increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
Increased access to healthy/affordable food
Achieved increased access to healthy/affordable food
Cultural heritage and sense of place
Promotion of cultural diversity
Achieved promotion of cultural diversity
Education
Increased support for education and scientific research
Expected increased support for education and scientific research
Social and cultural impact indicators
Number of community events, gatherings, or volunteer activities organized in green spaces
10 Health Fairs and events organised to promote the Medicinal and food plants planted in the nursery, in 2023(3)
Other indicators
2315 plants distributed during the events in 2023
Description of social and cultural benefits
-Increased access to healthy/affordable food: "The distribution of medicinal plants and food plant seedlings is being facilitated in the different areas, especially to the most vulnerable population, through the provision of supplies and materials to support the nursery." (1)
- Promotion of cultural diversity: "Part of the strategy to promote and revalorise traditional medicine and the safe use of medicinal plants is being carried out through the distribution to the population of seedlings of medicinal species at the ‘Mega Health Fairs’, events and congresses organised by the World Organisation for Migration (IOM), the Directorates of Integrated Health Networks (DIRIS) in Lima, the Ministry of the Environment (MINAM), the National Health Institute (INS), the Armed Forces and the National Police (FFAA and PNP), among others." (3)
- Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples: Regarding the social impact of the project, joint efforts are being made between the INS and the IOM to prioritise the distribution of medicinal and food plants produced in the nursery to the most vulnerable population (1, 2).
-Increased support for education and scientific research: The project is expected to promote, develop, and encourage research, innovation, and technologies related to the use, preservation, conservation, and employment of medicinal and food plants.
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Yes
Actors involved in the assessment, monitoring or evaluation of NBS impacts
Public sector institution
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Type of indicators
Output indicators
Progress indicators
Outcome indicators
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
Yes
Link to monitoring/evaluation reports
https://boletin.ins.gob.pe/wp-content/uploads/2023/V29N6/a03v29n6.pdf
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Cost-benefit analysis
Unknown
Transparency
Inclusion of diverse stakeholders in project governance processes (e.g. planning, implementation, monitoring, etc.)
Public disclosure of project funding sources and/or budgets
Online disclosure of technical reports (e.g. project documents, reports, or data)
Justice
Community satisfaction
Unknown
Description of locals satisfaction with the project
Unknown
Trade-offs & Negative impacts
Unknown
Emphasis of existing social inequalities or injustices
No information reported related to negative social justice-related impacts of the NBS project
Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement
No initiatives or policies were implemented
High-quality & Transformative NBS
Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community)
No
Goal setting and impacts delivery
No, project goals were not set, and benefits were not delivered in all 3 key areas.
Reaching original project goals
Some of the project goals were achieved
Long-term perspective
Yes
Cost-effective solutions
Unknown
Equitable impacts
A. All stakeholders benefit fairly from the project
Transformative capacity
Social change (e.g. social relationships, networks and dynamics within them)
Ecological change (e.g. ecosystem functions and their distribution)
Magnitude of change
Incremental: shallow; that is, mostly maintaining business-as-usual approaches to adaptation
Application of lessons learned
Unknown
Perception of Environmental Change
Unknown
References
1.
Peruvian Government (2023). CENSI inauguró vivero de plantas medicinales y alimenticias para la preservación de la biodiversidad ante el cambio climático. Accessed on August 22, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
2.
Peruvian Government (2024). INS fortalece puesta en marcha del vivero de plantas medicinales y el mantenimiento sostenible de sus jardines botánicos. Accessed on August 22, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
3.
Silva J, Vicuña W, Bartolo-Marchena M. (2023). PROMOCIÓN DEL CULTIVO Y USO SEGURO DE PLANTAS MEDICINALES. Accessed on August 22, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
4.
Peruvian Ministry of Health (n.d.). Centro Nacional de Salud Intercultural. Accessed on August 22, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
5.
Municipalidad de Chorrillos (n.d.). Portal de Transparencia. Accessed on August 22, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
6.
Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (2020). Planos Estratificados de Lima Metropolitana a Nivel de Manzanas 2020. Accessed on August 22, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
Comments and notes
Additional insights
CENSI's work has been participatory, involving indigenous communities in the mapping of medicinal plants and their uses (4). There is no mention of this in the implementation of the nursery, but the photos of the inauguration show people from Indigenous communities who took part in it through rituals (1), so it is possible that participatory mechanisms are being developed in the implementation of the nursery.
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Preservation of ancestral knowledge on the use of plants for medicinal and food purposes
Safe and sustainable use of medicinal plants
Public Images
Crop of Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf “hierba luisa
Crop of Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf “hierba luisa
Silva J, Vicuña W, Bartolo-Marchena M
Wall of the medicinal and food plant nursery with a sign of CENSI, the organisation in charge of the implementation of the nursery
Wall of the medicinal and food plant nursery with a sign of CENSI
UCOM - Peruvian Government
Crop of peppermint, one of the nursery's medicinal plants
Crop of peppermint, one of the nursery's medicinal plants
Silva J, Vicuña W, Bartolo-Marchena M
Indicator
Achieved increased green space area
Impact evaluation
Low
Degree of confidence
Medium
Indicator
Achieved increased number of species present
Impact evaluation
Moderate
Degree of confidence
Medium