WCS Northwestern Bolivia

From the Highlands to the Lowlands
The Northwestern Bolivian Andes is one of the most biodiverse regions of the planet. A complex of three protected areas (Madidi, Pilon Lajas, and Apolobamba) and a titled indigenous territory (Tacana) span a continuous altitudinal gradient from 150 to 6,000 meters above sea level and cover almost 40,000 sq. km, a situation that is unique in the tropical Andes. The landscape hosts more than 1,150 bird species and 200 mammal species, including globally significant populations of large-bodied, charismatic wildlife species such as the jaguar, spectacled bear, white-lipped peccary and Andean condor. These wide-ranging “landscape species” live in an ecologically and jurisdictionally complex landscape. In order to achieve effective wildlife conservation, WCS works to integrate all levels of management in issues regarding biodiversity. (Click here for more information on WCS's landscape-scale approach to conservation in Northwestern Bolivia.) 

The Human Aspect
The region is also home to an array of local inhabitants, including several lowland indigenous groups (Lecos, Tacanas, Mosetenes, T’simanes, and Esse Eja), highland indigenous groups (Aymaras, Quechuas, and Kallawallas), and colonists of differing origins. Municipal and departmental governments, as well as the National Protected Area Service (SERNAP), play key roles in territorial management. The complex social fabric requires WCS to work with different organizations and at different management levels in order to strengthen local capacity for sustainable natural resource use and protected area administration.

Threats
The principal threats to wildlife and biodiversity are related to road construction, new settlements, and the accompanying unmanaged exploitation of natural resources. The exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons pose significant potential threats. Indirect threats include the lack of legal clarity and loose regulations regarding the use of natural resources, as well as poor integration between development and conservation strategies. Tourism, hunting, fishing, and human-wildlife conflict need specific management strategies at the community level and beyond.

WCS Activities
WCS activities are focused on: a) improving the biological and social knowledge bases for the Northwest Bolivian landscape in order to increase information available for decision makers, and b) developing local capacity for natural resource management in order to guarantee appropriate and sustainable wildlife use. WCS conducts institutional strengthening, targeting institutions that are responsible for the administration, conservation, and management of natural resources. We are working towards the development of a sustainable management plan that will integrate the conservation vision of all the groups present in this magnificent landscape. Finally, we share the lessons we learn in landscape conservation with the broader conservation and development community.

Important Next Steps
- Validate the “landscape species hypothesis” as a conservation planning tool that helps protect large landscapes by monitoring and designing conservation measures for key representative species (e.g. jaguar, spectacled bear, white-lipped peccary, and Andean condor).
- Assess the ecological viability of landscape species populations across the landscape.
Integrate the management plans of the three protected areas (Madidi, Pilon Lajas, and Apolobamba).
- Continue to diversify the community and supra-communal natural resource management initiatives within the protected areas and the adjacent Tacana Indigenous Territory.
- Assist SERNAP in the implementation of the Madidi Management Plan, including the identification of long-term funding mechanisms.
- Strengthen local governments’ capabilities in environmental management and land-use planning.