Memorial Parks for Peru: Dignified Burial, Built to Last

Mandatum has prepared a technical profile for memorial parks in Peru: permanent sites for dignified burial, built to a high standard of design, security and perpetual care. The profile is a reference model, not tied to a specific plot of land. It explains, step by step, how such a park would be designed, built and operated.

Why it matters

A dignified burial is a basic human need and a public health matter. Where cemeteries are saturated or informal, the risks to soil and water increase, and families with fewer resources are left without a dignified option. Local mortality figures and existing capacity would be gathered in the first phase of the project.

The reference park at a glance

• Size: about 12 hectares.
• Capacity: 3,000 burial plots, 1,500 niches, 1,000 cinerary niches and 500 ash-garden points.
• Buildings: a Catholic chapel, a multi-faith chapel, wake rooms, administration offices, an infirmary, a crematorium, visitor services and a maintenance block.
• Landscape: gentle terraces that follow the terrain, native low-water planting, drip irrigation, solar power and reuse of treated water.

How the model works

• Mandatum leads and develops the project in full.
• There is no cost, debt or guarantee for the State at any stage.
• The park’s own revenue covers operation, maintenance, renewal and perpetual care, and its administration stays with Mandatum to guarantee continuity.
• A social burial sector offers the same quality of service to people living in poverty, supported by cross-subsidy.
• The project stays open to the Government’s priorities and can be redirected toward other projects.

Built in phases

The park grows module by module, so each phase is financed and operated on its own. The project moves through five phases, and each one is confirmed before the next begins:

• Phase 0: first contact and expression of interest.
• Phase 1: site selection, demand study and technical studies.
• Phase 2: preliminary design, budget and permits.
• Phase 3: construction by modules of one to two hectares.
• Phase 4: opening, direct administration by Mandatum and perpetual care.

Designed for safety and resilience

The design follows Peru’s seismic standard (E.030), with drainage sized for intense rain and raised burial sectors or niches wherever the water table is high. Security includes a perimeter wall, access control, video surveillance, night lighting and round-the-clock monitoring. Construction milestones are certified by an independent technical entity before each payment is authorized.

What Mandatum asks of local counterparts

At this stage Mandatum asks for no money and no guarantees. It asks to confirm the need for dignified burial space and propose candidate sites, to name a technical contact, to agree a technical meeting to present the model and hear local priorities, and to receive guidance on the applicable procedures: land use, health licensing and environmental assessment.

All figures are reference design criteria, subject to validation by Peruvian engineers, the general contractor and local regulations. Any images shown for this project are illustrative renders and do not represent a real or final project.

This project has a detailed technical document covering the investment costs, the break-even point, maintenance and operating costs, financing, and ownership structure. The document is available to the members of the Order. Interested members may contact the Chancellery of the Order in their country to request the information.