A digital replica allows a virtual journey to a sacred place in the Amazon.

Madrid, (EFEverde).- The rock formation, more than six meters high, known as "El Rostro Harakbut" (The Harakbut Face), located in the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve in the Peruvian Amazon and difficult to access, will now be accessible to everyone thanks to the development of a virtual representation called a "digital twin," which offers an immersive experience.

The digital replica of the cultural heritage was developed by the Peruvian Society of Environmental Law (SPDA) and the Contractor for the Administration of the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve (ECA Amarakaeri), an indigenous organization that co-manages the protected area with the Peruvian State.

The work was carried out using 3D scanning, drones, and advanced modeling technologies, in a process guided by the stories and knowledge of the Harakbut indigenous people.

Krisber Aguilar, responsible for digitalization, describes that the level of realism achieved , through techniques such as neural representation (Gaussian Splatting), allowed to recreate not only the shape of a place, but also its atmosphere.

“We set out to preserve its textures, the light that surrounds it, the shadows of the foliage, even the sense of humidity and depth one perceives when standing there,” explains the reality capture expert from DCMS. “ Applying these tools to cultural preservation opens up new avenues for remote research, immersive education, and active conservation. What we scan today could become the only way for future generations to approach sites that may no longer exist as we know them,” says Aguilar.

For SPDA, this initiative is an innovative way to implement conservation, where technology doesn't replace the territory, but rather helps defend it.

The digital twin of the Harakbut Face is now available as a free, immersive experience for everyone. You can explore it here: https://splatter.app/s/ih1-zrz

Expedition

“The (conventional) journey requires too much physical effort and is unattainable for many. Sometimes the river isn't in optimal conditions for reaching it,” says Luis Tayori, who led and coordinated the expedition. “But it has been a meeting of memories between the youngest and oldest members of our community.”

For eight days, more than 30 people crossed rivers, forests, and mountains from the Puerto Luz Native community in the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve. The result of the expedition is the first digital twin of a sacred Indigenous site in Peru.

Sacred site under threat

The Harakmbut Face is located in a protected natural area of more than 402,000 hectares in Madre de Dios, southeastern Peru. For the Harakbut indigenous people, it is a sacred place that, they say, simply looking at it "makes you more human."

For a long time, it remained hidden, even from the indigenous people themselves. After its rediscovery, it was declared a National Cultural Heritage Site in 2021, highlighting the importance of preserving the surrounding natural environment.

Recognition has not been sufficient to protect it, according to the SPDA, citing constant pressures such as illegal mining, drug trafficking, and unplanned road construction, among others.

“ Between 2001 and 2023 alone, nearly 20,000 hectares of forest in its buffer zone were lost due to these pressures, according to the Andean Amazon Monitoring Project (MAAP),” the statement said.

The promotion of extractive projects adds to the threats. The report notes that in June of this year, Bill 11822/2024-CR was introduced, proposing to amend Law 26834, the Law on Protected Natural Areas. Among its provisions, it seeks to declare the execution of the "Lot 76 Exploration and Exploitation Project," which overlaps a large part of the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve, including the Harakbut Face, to be of national interest and public necessity.

"One of these proposals overlaps with our historical and cultural zone, which contradicts the purpose for which this protected area was created. We are not against development; what we are asking for is respect for our rights," says Walter Quertehuari, president of ECA Amarakaeri, who asserts that such initiatives attempt to circumvent prior consultation and prevent the participation of Indigenous peoples.

The SPDA believes that the aforementioned legislative project "weakens the implementation of environmental protection measures." Furthermore, it warns that the aim is to approve this legislative measure "with an impact on these spaces without prior consultation," in reference to Article 7 of ILO Convention 169, which establishes that Indigenous peoples have the right to freely decide on matters affecting their development process. EFEverde

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