Luisa Meneses

Peruvian environmentalist who pioneered rainforest conservation laws in the Amazon basin

Luisa Meneses (1928-1998) was a visionary conservationist from Iquitos, Peru who shaped modern environmental policy in the Amazon region. In 1965, she authored the 1965 Amazon Conservation Act - the first legal framework regulating deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon. Her grassroots campaign involved mapping indigenous territories using aerial photography, which became the basis for protected area designations. Meneses co-founded the Amazon Conservation Consortium in 1970, which successfully blocked 12 major hydroelectric projects threatening pristine ecosystems. She developed the first satellite-based monitoring system for illegal logging in 1972, later adopted by Brazil's environmental agency. Her 1975 book Forests of Memory documented indigenous ecological knowledge, influencing UNESCO's World Heritage designations. Meneses established the Amazon Women's Environmental Network in 1980, training over 2,000 female rangers. Her advocacy led to Peru's 1981 ban on commercial mahogany logging, preserving 1.2 million hectares of rainforest.