The protected area, designated in 2008, is jointly managed by indigenous communities, traditional authorities, and several government biological and cultural conservation institutions. The sanctuary covers 10,200 ha of tropical rainforests and Andean forests ranging from between 700 and 3,300 metres above sea level. With several diseases such as malaria already increasing in some countries due to climate change, the protected area helps maintain the essential ecosystem services that enable people to adapt to changing conditions, such as the incidence of disease. The protected area also helps to maintain the integrity of the Andean and Amazonian ecosystems, which provide other essential services, including drinking water.