Perla Balbuena

Peruvian anthropologist and environmental activist who protects Amazonian indigenous rights through digital advocacy

Perla Balbuena (b. 1981) is a Quechua-Asháninka anthropologist and founder of Amazon Guardians Network, a digital platform empowering indigenous communities to combat deforestation. Her innovative use of satellite mapping and social media has stopped over 50 illegal logging operations in Peru's Amazon region since 2015.

Balbuena's work began in 2003 when she documented the impact of oil drilling on the Shipibo-Conibo people for her university thesis. This led to her co-founding the Rainforest Voices initiative, which trains indigenous youth to use drones and GIS technology for land surveillance. Her 2018 report 《Eyes on the Forest》 exposed illegal gold mining operations responsible for 40% of the Amazon's mercury pollution.

In 2020, she launched the first indigenous-led blockchain system to track sustainable timber sales, ensuring profits directly benefit local communities. Her partnership with Google Earth Outreach created the Amazon3D mapping tool now used by 120+ communities. Balbuena's TED Talk 'Indigenous Eyes, Global Vision' (2021) has 1.2 million views, highlighting how technology can preserve ancestral knowledge.

Her recent focus includes climate change adaptation strategies for Andean communities, developing drought-resistant crop varieties through traditional farming knowledge. Critics praise her approach that combines ancestral wisdom with cutting-edge tech, recently featured in National Geographic's 'Future of Food' series. Balbuena's work earned her the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2022, the first awarded to an Andean indigenous leader.