Within the framework of the Conserva Aves initiative in Bolivia, the first in-person workshop was held in October 2024, aimed at Conserva Aves partners that accessed funding from American Bird Conservancy, Audubon Americas, BirdLife International Americas, Birds Canada, RedLAC, and the Bezos Earth Fund. The purpose of this funding is to support the implementation of projects focused on the creation of subnational protected areas in Bolivia. It is important to emphasize that these projects are part of the Conserva Aves initiative in Bolivia and aim to protect threatened, endemic, and migratory species and their habitats. In Bolivia, the initiative is implemented by Asociación Armonía and FUNDESNAP.
On this occasion, five Bolivian organizations participated (BIOTA, FAUNAGUA, PROMETA, CERAÍ, and ORE), receiving guidance from the Conserva Aves Bolivia team for the implementation of their projects. During the workshop, key topics were addressed, including bird monitoring, environmental and social safeguards, and strategic financial planning, facilitating the exchange of experiences among participants.
In February 2025, a second induction workshop with the same objective was held in the city of Cochabamba, this time aimed at the third group of organizations awarded this funding for the implementation of their subnational protected area creation projects. On this occasion, the participating institutions were FAUNAGUA, PROMETA, and SUBO.
Bolivian organizations
One of the projects being implemented in Bolivia is led by FAUNAGUA, which seeks to design and implement “Local strategies for biodiversity conservation and management in the Pamahuaya communities for the creation of a municipal protected area in the municipality of Riberalta”, in the Department of Beni, covering an approximate area of 275,700 hectares.
Meanwhile, PROMETA is implementing a project for the “Establishment of a high-Andean ecological corridor in the community of Ciudad Roma to facilitate the movement of high-Andean flora and fauna within the municipality of San Antonio de Esmoruco”, in the Department of Potosí, covering an area of 700,802 hectares.
Finally, PROMETA, in partnership with the organization SUBO, is implementing a project for the “Establishment of the foundations for the protected area of the Titicaca Grebe Sanctuary, Challapata Peninsula, Suches River mouth”, in the municipality of Escoma, Department of La Paz, covering an area of 2,458 hectares.
As a result, the current portfolio of projects under the Conserva Aves initiative in Bolivia includes nine projects distributed across the departments of Oruro, Beni, Potosí, Santa Cruz, and La Paz, with a total of 955,242 hectares seeking recognition as subnational protected areas. These efforts contribute to the protection of threatened, endemic, and migratory bird species and their habitats, supported by key planning tools such as Management Plans (including Protection and Management Programs, for example in Tourism, Environmental Education, and Wildlife Management), Strategic Financial Plans, Baseline Studies, Bird Monitoring, and global biodiversity and socioeconomic indicators.
Text: Imke Oetting, Armonía; Ernesto Aramayo, FUNDESNAP
Photos: Marizol Huarachi, Armonía