Bolivia's National Strategy for Forest and Climate Change (EN-BCC)

In the Bolivian municipalities of San Ignacio de Velasco and Concepción, the Andes Amazon Fund has supported the creation of two protected areas—Bajo Paraguá and Bajo Paraguá-Concepción—which together safeguard more than 1.13 million hectares of Amazonian and Chiquitano forests and wetlands. These areas strengthen a biological corridor of more than 4 million hectares, crucial for halting deforestation in the Chiquitano ecosystem and protecting emblematic species such as the jaguar, tapir, and white-lipped peccary. The territory harbors an extraordinary diversity of trees and vertebrates and, in Bajo Paraguá, is home to Chiquitano and Guarasug’we indigenous communities, whose culture and livelihoods depend on the forest. The declaration of these areas was made possible through collaboration between municipal governments, Fundación Natura Bolivia, FCBC, and regional partners, consolidating a crucial effort for large-scale conservation in eastern Bolivia.

The Plan is derived from the Economic and Social Development Plan (PDES) 2021-2025 and is framed within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals and Nationally Determined Contributions. The Plan is a medium-term planning guiding document of the Ministry of Environment and Water that establishes the planning and management for the environmental and water resources sector in Bolivia. This document proposes five sectoral policies and 26 strategic guidelines: P1: Comprehensive and sustainable forest management with a focus on the social, community economy, and productive systems. Forests are food producers and protectors of environmental functions for Living Well. P2: Consolidate the comprehensive management and legal use of biodiversity and genetic resources, promoting the sustainable use of wild flora and fauna species and sanctioning their illegal management and trafficking, and the management of protected areas with the use of natural resources in balance and complementarity with livelihood systems.P3: Management of the National System of Protected Areas and utilization of natural resources in balance and complementarity with living systems. P4: Consolidate comprehensive environmental management to protect and conserve the environment and natural resources, as well as prevent and control negative environmental impacts, polluting chemicals, and hazardous waste on Mother Earth, ensuring the application of current regulations with the use of technical-legal tools and new technologies for the benefit of the national population so that they can live well in compliance with international conventions and treaties. P5: Consolidate the national policy and strategy to respond to new threats of climate change, assuming the provisions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in terms of managing and enhancing the opportunities offered by financial mechanisms and fulfilling established commitments.

El Área Municipal de Conservación de Guanay, apoyada por Andes Amazon Fund, protege 110,837 hectáreas de bosques nublados y pastizales de puna en La Paz, Bolivia, resguardando un 32% del municipio. Estos ecosistemas son esenciales para el agua potable, la irrigación y la prevención de desastres naturales para las comunidades locales. Parte del área coincide con una Zona Clave para la Biodiversidad y alberga especies únicas y amenazadas, como la magnolia de Madidi, el oso de anteojos y el cóndor andino. El establecimiento del área fue posible gracias a la cooperación entre el gobierno municipal, Conservación Internacional–Bolivia y las comunidades, que trabajan juntas para conservar este paisaje remoto y de enorme valor ecológico.

The Bajo Madidi Municipal Conservation Area in Ixiamas, Bolivia, protects 1,535,495 hectares of intact savannas, wetlands, and tropical forests, making it the largest municipal conservation area in the country. Part of a binational corridor with the Madidi (Bolivia) and Tambopata (Peru) protected areas, it safeguards ecosystems vital to species such as the maned wolf, the Orinoco goose, and the marsh deer. In addition to conserving 10% of the world's productive Brazil nut trees, the area ensures the protection of six rivers essential for the food security of nearby communities and prohibits extractive activities such as industrial logging and cattle ranching. Created through a broad local participatory process and with the support of Conservation International-Bolivia and ACEAA, this initiative—financially backed by the Andes Amazon Fund and the Wyss Campaign—represents a milestone for the protection of pristine watersheds and landscapes in Bolivia.

The Porvenir Forest Municipal Conservation Area in Pando, Bolivia, protects 31,859 hectares of old-growth Amazon rainforest thanks to support from the Andes Amazon Fund. The project strengthens community-based natural resource management, promoting the sustainable harvesting of non-timber forest products such as Brazil nuts and açaí, which generate income and reduce deforestation pressure. Its management plan also ensures the conservation of rivers and fish, essential for local food security. Home to emblematic species such as the rubber tree, Brazil nut, and pink tajibo tree, the Porvenir Forest contributes to improving the quality of life for local communities, mitigating climate change, and preserving healthy ecosystems for future generations. The initiative was made possible by the Porvenir municipal government and the technical work of ACEAA.