Feasibility Analysis for Conservation Agreements in Pilón Lajas Biosphere Reserve and Communal Lands Watersheds

Project objective

CSF evaluated the feasibility of conservation agreements to guarantee the protection of the Pilón Lajas Biosphere Reserve and Communal Lands watersheds in Bolivia. Through consultation workshops with various stakeholders, we considered different financial mechanisms and made recommendations on the best model to be implemented in Pilón Lajas.

Read our policy brief (in Spanish) here

 

Background

The Pilón Lajas Biosphere Reserve and Communal Lands is located in northwest Bolivia, about 200 miles northeast of La Paz. The area is home to numerous indigenous communities, and its forests provide springs and reservoirs essential for water regulation and provision downstream throughout the region. Proper stewardship of the water sources is therefore essential. 

Conservation agreements have demonstrated positive results in several other regions of Bolivia, where stakeholders are actively participating in financing mechanisms to protect water sources. The Tsimané Moseten Regional Council, responsible for the oversight and management of Pilón Lajas, approached CSF with an interest in using a similar mechanism, or designing a new one to address the particular characteristics of the reserve.

This project was supported by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund.