The Noel Kempff Mercado Climate Action Project (NK-CAP) mitigates the greenhouse effectby reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD). Planned to last 30 years,the project is the first of its kind to be certified according to the standards of the CleanDevelopment Mechanism.

The project is an example for the world of how to scientifically quantify, monitor and certify thereduction of CO2 emissions that results from forest conservation.

Started in 1997, the NK-CAP added 832,000 hectares of tropical forest to the Noel Kempff MercadoNational Park, an area that was threatened by excessive logging and new human settlements. Theexpansion of the park was made possible by indemnifying forest concessionaires that operated inthe area.

The project’s science program quantified the carbon stored in the area with a monitoring plan that tracksbiomass changes, socioeconomic impacts, the evolution of timber markets, and developments inconservation.

The project made it possible to expand the area of the Noel Kempff Mercado National Park from 706,000ha to its current size of 1,523,446 ha. The expansion of the park allowed its boundaries to be redefinednaturally by rivers, thus ensuring the biological viability of the populations of species that are characteristicof the region.

The project made it possible to establish a trust fund that ensures the basic protection of the park indefinitelyinto the future. It also supported the development of environmentally sustainable economic activities in theneighboring indigenous communities and helped them secure property rights over their lands (Tierra Comunitariade Origen).

In November 2005, the company Société Genérale de Surviellance (SGS) certified that without the project1,034,107 tons of CO2 would have been released into the atmosphere between 1997 and 2005. SGS evaluatedthe project’s design and its methods (for “additionality”, baselines, possible leakage, and the monitoring ofenvironmental and socioeconomic impacts of the project) with the rigorous standards of the Clean DevelopmentMechanism given that no standards for REDD existed at the time.

The NK-CAP was established as part of a strategic alliance between the Government of Bolivia—throughthe then Ministry of Sustainable Development (currently the Ministry of the Environment and Water),American Electric Power Company, BP-America and PacifiCorp. It is implemented by The Nature Conservancy(TNC) and Fundación Amigos de la Naturaleza.

Rich biological diversity and a high level of endemism make the Amboró-Madidi Corridor(CAM) a priority area for national and global conservation. FAN accordingly led the creation

of a vision for the conservation of the CAM. The goal of this process was to provide a fundamentaltool for implementing strategies that would ensure the conservation of this part of Bolivia over

the long term.

The conservation vision document highlights the CAM’s outstanding species richness and concentrationof endemism, thus underscoring the region’s importance as a biodiversity hotspot in the tropical

Andes as well as its role as Bolivia’s main evolutionary laboratory. The social and economic characteristicsof the corridor are also relevant considering that over 3.4 million people live in colonization zones and

agricultural centers situated within the CAM’s area of influence.

The conservation vision and its strategic zoning for the management of the CAM are based on an analysisof conservation priorities that were identified according to the area’s different conservation targets. The

strategic zoning includes a portfolio of priority conservation sites as well as alternative areas for conservationand sustainable development, and is therefore a useful technical input for guiding land-use planning.

The conservation vision of the CAM, published in a 414 page book in September 2008, was produced by 25professionals from different fields working with the technical and financial support of the Worldwide Fundfor Nature (WWF), The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Conservation International (CI). Additionally, the USAgency for International Development (USAID) provided financial support for the publication of the book.The General Directorate of Biodiversity, of the then Ministry of Sustainable Development, provided institutionalsupport by leading an oversight committee. The project also received valuable inputs from the Centro deInvestigación Satelital y Teledetección (CISTEL), the Instituto de Ecología (IE), the Ornithology Department ofthe Noel Kempff Mercado Museum of Natural History (MHNNKM), and the Tropical Ecology Support Program(TÖB) of the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ).

Decentralization and the development of governability for environmental managementare understood together as a process in which municipal governments exercise their authorityto promote biodiversity conservation and the sustainable management of natural resources. This process includes the active participation of communities, public and private institutions,and the general public, thus facilitating the democratization of environmental managementdecisions.

In the context of a national legal framework (the Law of the Environment and the Law ofMunicipalities) that delegates direct responsibility for the sustainable management of theenvironment and natural resources to municipal governments, FAN developed over the last fiveyears a Model for Participatory Municipal Management of Natural Resources and the Environment.This model seeks to link communities, public institutions and municipal governments in order forthem to incorporate environmental issues into municipal management and thereby contribute to theconservation and sustainable use of natural resources in the municipality.

Four municipalities in the southern zone of the Amboró Protected Area have incorporated environmentalissues in their operations along three lines of action developed in the model:

Implementation of norms and technical instruments for planning, conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources and biodiversity.

Strengthening of the technical capacities of municipal governments and communities for developing and implementing conservation and for sustainably using their natural resources and biodiversity.

Increasing the public sector and civil society’s appreciation for conservation and sustainable natural resourceuse issues, as key elements in the process of development and the generation of local benefits.

The municipalities of Comarapa, Pampagrande and Mairana have included environmental managementinitiatives in their annual work plans and have invested public funds in their implementation. These initiativeswere proposed by 34 of the 52 communities located in these municipalities. Similarly, the municipal governmentshave identified municipal-scale conservation and natural resource management activities that are now beingcarried out. Land use planning tools as well as municipal and community rules for environmental managementwere developed and are being used. The efforts and initiatives aimed at increasing awareness aboutenvironmental issues are being developed by the municipal governments as well as by civil society organizations.

The Model for Participatory Municipal Management of Natural Resources and the Environment was developedand has been implemented with commitments to follow its guidelines from the Municipal Governments ofComarapa, Mairana and Pampagrande, the leaders of many of the communities of the southern part ofthe Amboró Protected Area, and public and private institutions that work in the region. Funding for theimplementation of the model was provided by The MacArthur Foundation and the United States Agencyfor International Development (USAID) though the Landscape Conservation Program.

In mid-2005, FAN was selected to assume the technical leadership of the National SustainableBiotrade Program (PNBS). A program of the Government of Bolivia, the PNBS seeks to stimulate

the generation of income for the country by facilitating the trade of products and servicesfrom native biodiversity that are produced according to standards for ecological, social and

economic sustainability.

During three years of its implementation, the PNBS succeeded in seeing the biotrade sector becomeorganized and its national and international profile enhanced. On average, the different productive

enterprises supported by the PNBS increased the volume of their sales by 80% as compared to 2005. At the same time, the producers gained access to new markets and had a positive impact on the

export supply offered by Bolivia.

Between 2005 and 2008, the 392 indigenous and campesino communities, 21 companies, and 125 cattleranches that comprise the chains of production assisted by the PNBS, developed capacities in sustainable

natural resource management, the organization of production, business administration, and marketintelligence. The chains of production include products from alligator, tegu lizards, collared peccary, vicuña,

jatata palm, palqui tree, maca root, butterflies, cusi palm, copaibo tree, majo tree, wild cacao, Brazil nuts,honey from native bees, cupuazú and aromatic herbs.

There is greater appreciation for 5.5 million hectares of the Amazon, Chaco, Yungas, puna and pre-punaecosystems where the 15 biotrade chains of production are located. This is the result of the developmentand implementation of sustainable management plans and the use of best practices manuals for harvestingand organic production.

The PNBS contributed to the development and revision of 13 proposed legal instruments. The correspondingauthorities approved two of these instruments—the Ministerial Resolution 309/06 for the Guide for theDevelopment of Biodiversity Management Plans and a supreme decree authorizing the trade of vicuña—whereas the rest provide the groundwork for policy development and future actions by the proper authorities.

In June 2008, FAN concluded its technical leadership of the PNBS, but continues to support the biotrade sectoras a strategic partner that offers technical and financial assistance.

The National Sustainable Biotrade Program was supported by the Royal Netherlands Embassy, the Secretaryof Economy of Switzerland, and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The book Biodiversity: The Richness of Bolivia, published in 2003 substantiates Bolivia’s placeamong the world’s most biodiverse countries. This work contains studies by 72 Bolivian andforeign authors that provide current information on the state of knowledge of Bolivia’sbiodiversity. In addition to documenting and validating the richness of Bolivia’s biodiversity,the book also identifies the challenges that exist for its conservation.

Given that Bolivia is one of the, countries with the greatest levels of biodiversity in the world, ithas a great responsibility for the conservation of this biodiversity. In 2000, the Government of Boliviabegan developing a National Biodiversity Strategy, Fundación Amigos de la Naturaleza participatedin this process by offering scientific support. FAN and the Government of Bolivia agreed that FANwould provide the technical underpinnings for the strategy by leading the compilation and publicationof Biodiversity: The Richness of Bolivia.

This work describes the 12 ecoregions found in the country, the best known taxa, and the general distributionpatterns of biodiversity. It also identifies the diverse actors and populations that use the country’s biodiversity,offering a novel contribution to the analysis of the use of biodiversity products and services, and its importancefor the country’s economy.

Moreover it describes the causes and mechanisms behind the degradation of biodiversity and analyzes thecapacity and conditions for its conservation. Special attention is given to the local capacity that communitiesand municipalities have for biodiversity management.

Biodiversity: The Richness of Bolivia is a valuable baseline and reference text for researchers, governmentaldecision-making, and actors in the conservation sector. It includes information, guidelines and novel conceptsfor planning and biodiversity conservation within the framework of the National Biodiversity Strategy.

This work is an official document that was created at the request of the then Ministry of Sustainable Development- currently the Ministry of the Environment and Water. Gonzalo Mérida and Pierre Ibisch were responsible forthe production and editing of the document. Funding for the book was provided by the Embassy of Sweden,the Royal Embassy of Denmark, Patrons for Biodiversity (BIOPAT), Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation(COSUDE), Center for International Migration and Development (CIM), and the United Nations DevelopmentProgram (UNDP).

The communities that live in rural areas of high biodiversity value or in zones borderingprotected areas have the challenge of safeguarding the natural heritage of Bolivia so it can

be maintained over the long-term. They are therefore protagonists in the conservation ofthe country’s valuable biodiversity, and ultimately its protection and sustainable development

depends upon them.

Facing this challenge, 25 neighboring communities of the Amboró Integrated Management NaturalArea have been successfully implementing—with support from FAN—initiatives for honey production,

grazing systems, headwaters protection, perennial and annual crops in agroforestry systems, andecotourism. For example, the community of Cabra Cancha, in the municipality of Camarapa, protects

64 hectares of the El Piritial micro-watershed that provides water for its irrigation needs and for othercommunities in the lower part of the watershed. This initiative is supported by the municipal government.

This kind of community-based action has become an exemplary model for conservation and the sustainableuse of natural resources that is compatible with economic and productive interests.

With the expansion in 1996 of the Noel Kempff Mercado National Park to its current boundaries, 7 communitiesjoined forces and improved their living conditions. FAN’s first program of assistance to the communities of

the Bajo Paraguá region addressed basic needs such as health, education, organizational strengthening,land tenure, road access and communication. In 2006, during the second stage of assistance, the indigenousorganization of the Bajo Paraguá (Central Indígena del Bajo Paraguá) obtained tenure rights over its land(Tierra Comunitaria de Origen). Through productive initiatives for the management of timber, fisheries, andnon-timber forest resources, members of the communities have also developed technical skills in the use ofnatural resources. These communities are recognized as the guardians and defenders of the conservation ofNoel Kempff National Park.

The actions undertaken to generate community-level leadership for conservation are made possible by diverseprograms and projects financed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), TheNature Conservancy (TNC), the Noel Kempff Climate Action Project, Conservation International (CI), MacArthurFoundation, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), WagnerFoundation, Tinker Foundation, and CARE.

By providing a suite of methodological innovations, FAN has strengthened the biodiversitycomponent of the Municipal Land Use Plans (PMOT). The PMOT is a technical-regulatoryinstrument that allows the use and settlement of the municipality’s land and territory to beplanned according to its biophysical, social, economic and cultural characteristics. Recognizingthat the PMOTs are important guides for the decision makers responsible for municipaldevelopment, FAN saw the benefit of broadening the biodiversity component of the PMOTs andidentifying effective measures for conservation and sustainable development in each municipality.

FAN built upon experience it had gained working on other planning processes (including individualproperty land use plans, management plans for protected areas, and eco-regional plans) to furtherdevelop the biodiversity component of the PMOTs, particularly the stages related to the biologicaldiagnostic and the integrated evaluation of the area in the municipality. In developing the PMOT ofthe Municipality of Pampagrande, FAN collaborated with the Municipal Territorial Strengthening Unitof the Prefecture of Santa Cruz and the Municipal Government of Pampagrande to create maps of themunicipality’s biological and ecological attributes and the state of conservation of its ecosystems. Thiseffort also identified conservation targets and their areas of distribution, as well as the principal naturalattractions of the municipality.

Based on this experience, FAN, Fundación Amigos del Museo, the Noel Kempff Mercado Museum of NaturalHistory, the Chiquitano Forest Conservation Foundation, the Office of Land Use Planning and Watersheds ofthe Prefecture of the Department of Santa Cruz, and the Sociedad para la Conservación de la Vida Silvestredeveloped a proposed methodology for strengthening the biodiversity component of the land use planningprocess. The product of this initiative was incorporated into a proposal for revising the Methodological Guidefor Land Use Planning that is currently held by the Vice Ministry of Territorial Planning and the Environment.

This work was made possible with support from the Royal Netherlands Embassy and carried out under theauspices of the USAID-funded Landscape Conservation Program by a consortium comprised of ConservationInternational (CI), FAN, the Federation of Municipal Associations of Bolivia (FAM), and Asociación Bolivianapara la Conservación (TRÓPICO).

For a decade (1995–2005), Fundación Amigos de la Naturaleza (FAN) contributed to thesustainable management of the Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, helping it become

one of the best managed protected areas in Bolivia and the country’s only natural area tobe recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

In 1995, the then Ministry of Sustainable Development and the Environment signed a long-term agreement with Fundación Amigos de la Naturaleza (FAN) establishing a commitment to

manage the park, guarantee its protection, carry out programs from its management plan, andensure the gradual involvement of the local population in the park’s management. With this

agreement, FAN and the leadership of the park initiated a joint undertaking characterized by closecollaboration.

At the close of the period of co-management, the park’s biodiversity and ecosystems had beenmaintained in a good state of conservation. The area continues to be distinguished as one of the sites

with the greatest diversity of species and habitats in the region, and the only place on the continentwhere five different types of vegetation converge, including humid forests, dry forests, savannah wetlands,

Cerrado savannahs, and gallery forests. As part of the Noel Kempff Climate Action Project, which is beingimplemented in the park, a trust fund was established that guarantees the basic protection of the area

indefinitely into the future.

The creation of a management committee and the committee’s contributions have been essential for themanagement of the park. The committee has functioned since 1995 and is recognized as an instrument ofthe park’s governance. It has participated in planning, facilitated oversight of management of the area, andpromoted greater appreciation of the park in neighboring rural communities and urban populations. Thecommittee is comprised of representatives of the National Protected Areas Service, Prefecture of the Departmentof Santa Cruz, Municipality of San Ignacio de Velasco, Sub-Prefecture of the Province of Velasco, indigenousorganization of the Bajo Paraguá (Central Indígena del Bajo Paraguá), and the communities of Florida, Porvenir,Piso Firme, Bella Vista, Remanso, Cachuela and Esperancita de la Frontera.

The communities became involved in the management of the park at the same time that they revived theirtraditional organizational system, developed a sense of ownership over the park, and implemented diverseinitiatives for the sustainable harvest of their natural resources and the management of their lands.

During this time, tourism services in the park were expanded, thus helping to reveal the natural bounty ofthe park to national and international visitors. Improvements in the services included significant newinfrastructure and equipment for tourist activities at the Flor de Oro and Los Fierros visitor centers.

The co-management of the Noel Kempff Mercado National Park received support from The Nature Conservancy(TNC), American Electric Power, BP-America, PacifiCorp, United Nations Development Program, GlobalEnvironment Facility (GEF), Noel Kempff Mercado Museum of Natural History, Swiss Agency for Developmentand Cooperation, UNESCO, Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), Wagner Foundation, Fanwood Foundation,Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), and donations from individuals committed to the conservation ofnature.

Bolivia is one of the richest countries in biodiversity. The protected areas and other conservationunits found in the country therefore represent high-value opportunities for the conservationof this biodiversity.

It was in this context that the project Gaps in Representation in the National System of ProtectedAreas was developed, thus addressing one of the national government’s commitments underthe Convention on Biological Diversity. The objective of the project was to ensure technicallythat the most sensitive and valuable elements of Bolivia’s biodiversity were adequately representedin the National System of Protected Areas (SNAP). As a result, all the national priority areas forbiodiversity conservation were identified and the existing network of protected areas in the countrywas validated.

The design of the gap analysis methodology took into consideration the most recent advances inconservation science, thus ensuring that the study was as thorough and complete as possible. The analysiswas guided by the premise of functionality first, thus abandoning the classic view of achieving representationwith collections of species in protected areas. Accordingly the development of a vision for biodiversityconservation for all of Bolivia was proposed that identifies a matrix of key priority areas representing thecountry’s biodiversity and, where possible, catalyzing conservation activities within large blocks of functionalecosystems.

The gap analysis study developed for Bolivia offers the biological and ecological basis for identifying a seriesof priority areas that serve as the foundations for an integral vision of conservation and sustainable developmentfor the entire country. According to this vision, functional ecosystems are maintained and between 10 and15% of the country’s different ecological units are represented in areas that are under some kind of managementor protection system.

The gap analysis was carried out with an integrated approach that succeeded in having the most sensitiveand valuable elements of the country’s biodiversity adequately represented in the National System of ProtectedAreas by viable and functional priority protected areas. This document also included alternatives for how tomanage areas that are valuable for conservation but cannot be converted into protected areas.

The study was commissioned by the National Protected Areas Service with support from the Global EnvironmentFacility (GEF) and its execution was delegated to a consortium of institutions. Fundación Amigos de laNaturaleza (FAN), the scientific leader of the project, collaborated on the study with the Asociación Bolivianapara la Conservación (TROPICO), Centro de Estudios y Proyectos (CEP), Nordic Agency for Development andEcology (NORDECO), Conservation International (CI), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Wildlife ConservationSociety (WCS), and the University of Applied Sciences Eberswalde, Germany.

Founded in 1998, FAN Publishing House is a valuable medium for documenting anddisseminating scientific knowledge about Bolivia’s biodiversity. The specialized publications

on scientific issues, along with other materials and activities, aim to create greater awarenessof biodiversity conservation among different target audiences.

FAN Publishing House has a catalogue of over 40 publications in different genres. The principalworks include The National Biodiversity Strategy, Biodiversity: The Richness of Bolivia. State of

Knowledge and Conservation, Wild Edible Fruit of the City of Santa Cruz, Flora of the Amboró NationalPark Region Vol. II and III, A Vision for Biodiversity Conservation in the Amboró – Madidi Corridor, Palm

Collections of Bolivia, Orchids of Bolivia Vol. I and II, Mammals of the Humid Forests of Tropical America,Kusasu and the Tree of Life, and The Chiquitano Dry Forest Conservation Plan.

In the 11 years that it has operated, FAN Publishing House has worked with more than 30 Bolivian andforeign authors, succeeding in maintaining a constant rhythm of production of publications. These works

are the result of joint efforts between researchers, scientific institutions, and organizations committed togenerating and disseminating scientific knowledge.

In the last few years, FAN Publishing House has begun producing materials and events for the sector thatgenerate support within society for conservation. Some of the most notable events and materials includethe organization of the 19th Working Meeting of the IUCN-SSC Crocodile Specialist Group Lesson Learned onConservation and Management of Crocodiles, participation in the International Book Fairs in the cities of SantaCruz and La Paz, and the production of souvenirs and appointment books with different themes.

Financial support for the production of different publications by FAN Publishing House has been provided byRepsol YPF, Biocultura – Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (COSUDE), the Royal Embassy ofDenmark, Patrons for Biodiversity (BIOPAT), the Center for International Migration and Development (CIM)of the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), the United Nations Development Program (PNUD), and others.With their support, a publications fund has allowed the continuing publication of books on biodiversityconservation in Bolivia.

The wild relatives of agricultural crop plants are the ancestors of the cultivated species,and they continue to survive in the wild, forming part of the country’s biological diversity.They carry genes that are valuable for improving crops, including increasing their nutritionalcontent, and are therefore useful for ensuring food security.

Considering the importance of these species, the project In Situ Conservation of Crop WildRelatives Through Enhanced Information Management and Field Application seeks to contributeto global food security through their effective conservation. Among the project’s most importantresults is an information system, internationally accessible on the Internet, which contains informationon the biology, taxonomy, and state of conservation of the wild populations of 16 key food crops.These crops include cereals, tubers and fruit, such as potato, quinoa, sweet potato, cassava, pineappleand cherimoya.

In Bolivia, Fundación Amigos de la Naturaleza (FAN) was responsible for the design, development andimplementation of the information system, and it worked closely on the project with eight nationalpartner institutions1 whose data was incorporated into a national information system. FAN integratedthis national system into an international system (available at www.cwrbolivia.gov.bo) after havingproposed innovative solutions and made modifications necessary for ensuring its compatibility with thesystems of other participating countries. This was done in such a way as to allow the countries to manage,share, and analyze information on the wild relatives of cultivated plants in one system that is available fordifferent users around the world.

Furthermore, the results of a national inventory of wild relatives of the principal cultivated species representa first step in developing a knowledge base about these plants and their distribution in Bolivia. The specializeddatabase of taxonomic and ecological information contains 2,486 entries of herbarium samples and germplasmaccessions. One of the most noteworthy products of this effort is an Atlas of Crop Wild Relatives that includesa series of maps accessible with a system that allows them to be used graphically and spatially.

The information system and the database developed by the project are together a fundamental tool for decisionmakers as they address strategies, policies and norms for this kind of crop within the context of genetic resourcemanagement. The system is accessible for the public.

The project is financed by the United Nations Environment Program and the Global Environment Facility(UNEP/GEF) and will last five years (until 2009). The participating countries are Armenia, Bolivia, Madagascar,Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan. Bioversity International is the principal implementer along with different nationaland international partners. In Bolivia, the project is implemented through the General Directorate of Biodiversityand Protected Areas (DGByAP) and the funds are administered by the Fundación para el Desarrollo de laEcología (FUNDECO).

Considering its ecological and biogeographic characteristics, Amboró National Park is one ofBolivia’s most important protected areas. This area is comprised of diverse ecosystems of

great scenic beauty that harbor an immense and unique biological richness with an elevatednumber of endemic species. It includes important watersheds upon which extensive agricultural

regions of the department of Santa Cruz depend. Likewise, 73 communities with approximately8,000 inhabitants are found within the Amboró Integrated Management Natural Area (ANMI),

and they use its land and natural resources for a diverse range of productive activities.

During the last two decades, FAN, working in close coordination with the National Protected AreasService, has provided substantial technical, financial and material support for conservation and the

strengthening of management in the ANMI.

The ANMI and the team charged with its management have the necessary resources and capacities forits basic management. This management includes environmental education and communication, running

a protection system, conflict prevention, the promotion of community initiatives that are compatible withconservation, the strengthening of relations between protected areas authorities and local stakeholders,

the promotion of research activities related to the conservation of the ANMI and the development of capacitiesfor its administration.

As the result of efforts to improve the public profile and appreciation of the park, the municipalities thatshare jurisdiction over the area, as well as a large number of the communities located within the ANMI, nowrecognize its ecological importance. These stakeholders are implementing a diverse range of activities andprojects that aim to conserve its biological and ecological qualities, maintain its environmental services, andsustainably use its natural resources.

Since 1991, diverse organizations and international cooperation agencies, including The Nature Conservancy(TNC), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Global Environment Facility (GEF), CARE,MacArthur Foundation, and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have provided financial supportfor the conservation of the Amboró Protected Area.

Management plans for protected areas are tools that guide actions related to the protection,management and conservation of a protected area. These plans are based on knowledge ofthe area’s biological and cultural diversity as well as its state of conservation. They are theprincipal technical instrument that guides the effective management of a protected area giventhat they focus on its particular characteristics, problems, potential and limitations. Zoningand strategic planning are developed according to the specific conditions of the protected area.Diverse stakeholders discuss their vision for conservation of the area and subsequently establishcommitments, defining actions for protection, the management and use of natural resources, andadvocacy that later become programs.

Over the past 20 years, FAN and the National Protected Areas Service (SERNAP) have jointly developed5 management plans for protected areas, thus making a fundamental contribution to the strengtheningof protected areas management in Bolivia. Between 1991 and 1992, the Management Plan for the RiosBlanco y Negro Wildlife Reserve was developed. This plan defined the boundaries of the reserve, accessto its natural resources, the aim of social investments, and the promotion of organized participation bythe local population. The objective was to develop a model that could be applied to other productive forestsin Bolivia.

In 1995, management plans were developed for Noel Kempff Mercado National Park—the technical basisfor the expansion of the park—and the Amboró National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area,which led to the reclassification of that area. Both plans involved the broad, open and voluntary participationof the protected areas’ stakeholders.In 2000, FAN developed the management plan for the first municipal reserve in the country, the MunicipalReserve of Tucavaca (RMT) located in the municipality of Roboré. The plan was used for the start of the area’smanagement by the Prefecture of the Department of Santa Cruz.

In 2006, FAN updated the Management Plan of the Beni Biological Station Biosphere Reserve, applying newprotected areas management concepts, such as an ecosystemic approach that links the protected area withthe regional context. Likewise, a participatory methodology was used that facilitated the involvement ofdifferent stakeholders and made it possible to establish social agreements and modify the plan according toa new social-political context.

The different management plans were developed with funding from the Global Environment Fund (GEF),The Nature Conservancy (TNC), CARE, PL-480, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and the Chiquitano ForestConservation Foundation (FCBC).

The biodiversity of protected areas faces diverse threats such as deforestation, indiscriminatefishing or hunting. Considering this, the protection teams in the parks require systems,

methods and tools that allow them to prevent and respond effectively to these threats.

The Integrated Protection Plan (PIP) is a planning tool and a guide for monitoring that allowsgreater effectiveness in the protection of an area and management of resources. It defines lines

of action and technical-administrative mechanisms for enforcement and surveillance activities,as well as the management of human resources, infrastructure and available equipment in a

protected area.

Based on the accumulated experience of years of work on the Protection Program of the Noel KempffMercado National Park (PNNKM), in 2003, a PIP was developed jointly by the park headquarters, its

team of park guards and FAN’s technical staff. Subsequently, it was adapted for and implemented inthe Amboró National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area.

The use of this tool led to the redesign of protection measures that includeed a subdivision of the protectedarea into districts and sites, the zoning of patrol areas (air, land and river), the scheduling of different

types of patrols (segments and frequency), and the planning of fuel use.

The PIP also made it possible to improve the organization and performance of the park guards. This includedimprovements in the fulfillment of functions related to patrolling, community outreach, environmentaleducation and environmental monitoring of conservation targets of the protected areas. For this range ofactions, the park guards developed capacities in the use of different tools and carried out activities guided bymeasurable indicators that verify the effectiveness of their performance. The PIP’s component for thestrengthening of human resources became a source of motivation for the team of park guards.

In the same sense, the community outreach activities carried out by the protected areas staff resulted inagreements and positive actions by the communities linked to the areas. These actions included the installmentof campsites in the communities, joint patrols with the park guards and activities to increase the appreciationthat children have for the park. It is noteworthy that in the Noel Kempff Mercado National Park agreementswere established with Brazilian authorities in order to implement seasonal fishing closures simultaneouslyin both countries.

This planning tool was developed as part of the Noel Kempff Mercado Climate Action Project which is fundedby The Nature Conservancy (TNC), American Electric Power Company, BP-America and PacifiCorp. In thecase of the Amboró Protected Area, the plan was developed under the auspices of the Parks in Peril Programwhich was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and The NatureConservancy (TNC).

The Chiquitano dry forest is a globally exceptional ecosystem and only in Bolivia is it foundin a good state of conservation. With the objective of contributing to the conservation andmanagement of this ecosystem, in 2001, FAN developed the Conservation and SustainableDevelopment Plan for the Chiquitano Dry Forest, Cerrado and Bolivian Pantanal.

It was the first conservation planning process to be undertaken in Bolivia at the regional scale(covering an area of approximately 7 million hectares) and to incorporate a proposed schedule forits implementation. The plan is a tool that can be used by municipalities as a baseline for their landuse plans and as a guide for their development and sustainable natural resource management policiesand actions. Furthermore, it can be used by local organizations as they develop their natural resourceuse activities, and it can help orient the activities and investments of conservation organizations inthe region.

The plan is a management tool that covers 15 years (2002-2017). It sets forth a spatial vision of conservationand sustainable development for representing the area’s biodiversity according to its relative importanceand in a way that responds to bio-ecological needs. Furthermore, to the extent possible, the plan ensuresthe functionality and continuing existence of the area’s biodiversity. Created with participatory scientificevaluation methods, the plan represents a concrete land use planning and natural resources use proposalfor a region that, given its exceptional biological diversity, requires concerted policies and effective tools forconservation and sustainable development.

This plan was developed for the Chiquitano Forest Conservation Foundation by FAN in consortium with Apoyoal Campesino e Indígena del Oriente Boliviano (APCOB); Fund-Eco, Instituto de Ecología, and the Institute forProject Planning (Institut für Projektplanung GmbH).

Conservation planning—one of FAN’s areas of work—is a process that involves analyzingand proposing conservation and biodiversity management strategies as well as solutions for

problems. Therefore, it is a process that requires solid scientific foundations and innovatemethodological tools.

The Bioclimatic Model for the extrapolation of species ranges and diversity patterns (BIOM) allowsforecasting of patterns of species diversity and endemism. The BIOM and a geographic information

system for evaluating and prioritizing conservation actions are examples of innovative methodologicaltools developed by FAN for conservation planning.

The first step in the planning process is to define what is to be conserved. For this step, FAN developedBIOM, which predicts which sites will have the most species richness or uniqueness, and is used when

little knowledge exists about the area. It combines climate conditions and data on species distributionor data from the collecting of species. The use of this model, and the analysis of 17 taxonomic groups

and more than 6,000 species of plants and animals, made it possible to identify the sites with the greatestrichness and endemism in Bolivia.

Additionally, the priority conservation sites are identified using a geographic information system (GIS)with a methodology adapted by FAN to analyze human activities, evaluate the state of ecosystem conservation,

cross reference information with centers of diversity and endemism, and prioritize important conservationsites.

Both tools can be used at different scales. These include the local scale (as in the case of integrated managementplans for watersheds or protected area management plans), the regional scale (as in the case of the Visionfor the Amboró Madidi - Corridor and the Plan for the Chiquitano Dry Forest), and the national scale (as in thecase of the Analysis of Gaps in Representation in the National System of Protected Areas).

These tools were developed as part of different projects. Principal support for the development of BIOM camefrom the Tropical Ecology Support Program (TÖB) of the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ). Complementarysupport came from the project “Biodiversity conservation vision for the Amboró – Madidi Corridor”, whichwas implemented by FAN with support from World Wildlife Fund (WWF), The Nature Conservancy (TNC) andConservation International (CI).

As part of FAN’s scientific collection of live plants, 25 new species of Bolivian flora werediscovered and described by science. This collection was established in 2002 with the purposeof generating knowledge about native flora in order to support the botanical development ofspecies with potential for ornamental uses.

Currently the collection has around 2,500 specimens of 391 species of higher plants native to Bolivia(Orchidaceae, Bromeliaceae, Cactaceae, Araceae, Heliconiaceae, Aristolochiaceae). This includes61 endemic species, at least 10 original reference specimens of bromeliads for the purpose of describingnew species, a complete collection of the genus Fosterella (20 of the 30 species that exist in the world)and 30 native trees with commercial and ornamental potential.

The management of the scientific collection required the creation and maintenance of a database withphenological records covering the cycle of flowering, fruiting and reproduction of each of the specimensin the collection for three consecutive years. These data made it possible to develop protocols for thepropagation and maintenance of the specimens.

The collection has also contributed to the ex situ conservation of important species, including, for example,the cactus Lepismium miyagawe. Although difficult to find in the wild, this species is maintained in thecollection where there is a protocol for its in vitro propagation.

The collection has made valuable contributions to the knowledge of the native flora of Bolivia. Informationfrom the collection has been published in the books Orchids of Bolivia volumes I and II (2001; 2004), an interactiveCD-ROM on the bromeliads of Bolivia (2000), and in 50 scientific articles in national and international journals.

The principal partners involved in the scientific collection of live plants and the phenological research werePatrons for Biodiversity (BIOPAT) and the Noel Kempff Mercado Climate Action Project.

FAN works within a broad framework of inter-institutional collaboration and commitment,engaging with networks of stakeholders who are both motivated by the goal of conservingBolivia’s biodiversity and convinced that development can occur at the same time that thenatural heritage of our country and the planet is maintained.

In accordance with this approach, FAN carries out its activities through inter-institutionalalliances comprised of civil society organizations, governmental entities and the private sector.

In doing so, technical and financial capacities are complemented, and the network ofstakeholders who can produce concrete results for biodiversity conservation is broadened.

FAN’s network of allies is comprised of:

Civil society – This is our principal conservation ally, with which we interact, learn and jointlypromote efforts. FAN’s specific civil-society allies are the National Indigenous Organization of the

Lowlands of Bolivia (CIDOB) and 7 of its regional organizations, 18 indigenous lands (TCO – TierrasComunitarias de Origen), 13 associations of producers, 14 private companies and private property

owners committed to conservation.

Governmental sector – We proactively provide support to this sector, and at the same time, wemaintain our independence in technical matters and demonstrate transparency in our actions. Our allies

in this sector are the Ministry of the Environment and Water, Vice Ministry of the Environment, Biodiversityand Climate Change, the General Directorate of Biodiversity and Protected Areas, General Directorate of

the Environment and Climate Change, National Climate Change Program, Ministry of Rural Developmentand Land, Vice Ministry of Land, National Protected Areas System, Directorate of Protected Areas of Santa

Cruz and Beni, Prefectures of Santa Cruz, Beni, Chuquisaca, and Cochabamba, Federation of MunicipalAssociations of Bolivia (FAM), Association of Municipalities of Santa Cruz (AMDECRUZ), and 8 municipalgovernments.

Academic sector – Working together with this sector, we generate knowledge and scientific foundationsfor conservation. Our academic allies are the Gabriel René Moreno Autonomous University, Noel KempffMercado Museum of Natural History, Bolivian Forest Research Institute, National Herbarium of Bolivia, Herbariumof Chuquisaca, Bolivian Bat Conservation Program, and the Group of crocodilian specialists.

Private sector – FAN learns from this sector, and provides its stakeholders with support in order to developtheir capacities for implementing biodiversity conservation. Our allies in the sector include: Trópico Foundation,Fundación para el Desarrollo de la Ecología (FUNDECO), Bolivian Association of Conservation (ABC), NuevoNorte Foundation, FAUTAPO, PRORURAL, CAINCO, National Chamber of Biotrade, Association of EcologicalProducer Organizations of Bolivia (AOPEB), and the Bolivian Institute of Foreign Trade (IBCE).

Funding entities and donors – They value our work and place their trust in our institution, and to themwe pledge technical excellence and effectiveness in our actions. They include the Caroline Gabel - SharedEarth Foundation, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, John D. and CatherineT. MacArthur Foundation, Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), The Nature Conservancy(TNC) United States Agency for International Development (USAID), AVINA Foundation, ConservationInternational (CI), American Electric Power, BP-Amoco, PacifiCorp, Andean Development Corporation (CAF),German Technical Cooperation – International Center for Migration (GTZ-CIM), Swiss State Secretariat forEconomic Affairs (SECO), Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (COSUDE), United NationsConference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Development Program (UNDP) andthe Andean Community of Nations (CAN).

One of the challenges for our country, and likewise for the conservation sector, is to developsolid institutions that are competitive in their respective areas of action, be they in the privateor public sector.

Fundación Amigos de la Naturaleza is committed to its institutional mission of generatingopportunities and innovation for the conservation of Bolivia’s biodiversity. It has also taken onthe challenge of its own institutional development and strengthening with the goal of guaranteeingthe effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of its actions.

FAN’s current level of institutional maturity is reflected in a clear long-term strategic vision that hasa value proposition that is relevant for conservation. Moreover, it has a work culture with moderninstitutional management systems, a highly professional team committed to the institution’s mission,and solid inter-institutional relationships with beneficiaries, allies, and funders.

The following are some of FAN’s indicators of institutional capacity:

Technical area: 4 programs under implementation, 73 projects implemented directly, 211 communityinitiatives that receive funding and technical assistance through partners.

Team: 130 dedicated, talented and proactive staff members. A relationship of trust and shared leadershipbetween the board of directors and the executive management. An institutional culture of strong institutional values, productivity, learning, and autonomous performance.

Financial sphere: An approximate budget of US$4,000,000 executed annually. 60% of the funds requiredby the multiannual technical plan for the next 5 years have been secured.

Internal management systems: A system for strategic, operational, technical and financial planning;a monitoring and evaluation system; and a system for communication and documentation. All the systemsoperate with modern information technology.

Inter-institutional relations: We attract and link beneficiaries, allies and funders that share our valueproposition and belong to civil society, the public sector, and the public sector from different regions and departments of Bolivia, as well as from other countries.