Pope makes impassioned plea to save the Amazon—will the world listen?

On February 12, the Pope released a 94 page document “Querida Amazonia” - “an impassioned plea for world leaders, transnational companies, and people everywhere to step up and protect the Amazon rainforest along with the indigenous people who live there and are its best stewards.”

According to this Mongobay article, “The Amazon is seeing rapid deforestation in Brazil, Peru, Bolivia and Colombia, while violence against indigenous people is rising. Scientists say climate change and deforestation are forcing a forest-to-savanna tipping point, which could lead to a massive tree die-off, the release of huge amounts of CO2, and global climate catastrophe.”

Pope Francis writes: “We do not need an environmentalism ‘that is concerned for the biome but ignores the Amazonian peoples…’If the care of people and the care of ecosystems are inseparable, this becomes especially important in places where the forest is not a resource to be exploited; it is a being, or various beings, with which we have to relate”

Faith leaders applauded the pope: “Care for creation and… social justice for indigenous peoples and forest communities are part of one moral fabric,” said Joe Corcoran of the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative. But most media ignored the pope’s message, focusing instead on his verdict disallowing Amazon priests from marrying.”

Bolivia: contribution of indigenous people to fighting climate change is hanging by a thread

According to this article in the Conversation, “Indigenous territories and protected areas cover 52% of the Amazon forest and store 58% of its carbon. A recent study found that these areas had the lowest net loss of carbon between 2003 and 2016, with 90% of net emissions coming from outside these protected lands.

“Where indigenous people live, [in Central America] you will find the best preserved natural resources,” declared the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2018. A study published that year found that “indigenous people are crucial for the conservation of a quarter of the land of the Earth”…

This is particularly the case in Bolivia: “On indigenous territories in Bolivia that have secured property rights, deforestation rates are 2.8 times lower than outside of them. Such lands cover 20% of the country’s territory, so the contribution of indigenous peoples in Bolivia to fighting climate change is substantial. But this situation has been undermined by Bolivia’s development policies, and could be threatened further with the recent shift to a right-wing government….

“The push to expand agriculture has continued with Bolivia’s new government. Shortly after Morales resigned on November 10 2019, the legislative assembly of Beni – a lowland region – approved a law which would open 42% of the land to farming and industrial activities. On December 16 2019, Beni’s Indigenous declared a state of emergency….”

“Since expansion of the farming frontier was agreed between the right and Morales while he was in power, it’s doubtful the former will change this arrangement if they remain in power after general elections in May 2020. The pending autonomy claims that would allow indigenous people to consolidate their territorial control are also likely to stagnate.”

MAAP synthesis: 2019 Amazon deforestation trends and hotspots

According to recent analysis by the Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project (MAAP), “In the Bolivian Amazon, deforestation decreased in 2018 to 58,000 hectares (143,000 acres) after a peak in 2016 of 122,000 hectares (302,000 acres). However, with the recent widespread forest fires, deforestation increased again in 2019, to 135,400 hectares (334,465 acres).”

An initiative of Amazon Conservation, MAPP “specializes in satellite-based, real-time deforestation monitoring of the Amazon.”

You can read more here. 

Why rare beetles are being smuggled to Japan at an alarming rate

This National Geographic article tells the wild tale of the illegal, international beetle trade. Rhinoceros beetles endemic to Bolivia have found an enthusiastic market among Japanese pet collectors, fetching as much as $500 each and even inspiring the creation of a new Pokémon character. The popularity of beetle wrestling has only continued to drive demand, leaving experts concerned about these beetles, which are already endangered due to deforestation and the growing coca monoculture in their native Bolivia. Given these beetles’ vital role in facilitating nutrient recycling and soil aeration, their poaching and trafficking represents yet another threat to the Amazon, and exposes the current lack of environmental law enforcement in Bolivia.

Rare trees are disappearing as ‘wood pirates’ log Bolivian national parks

Mara, a threatened mahogany tree species found in Western South America, is increasingly logged illegally in Madidi National Park and Amboro National Park.

According to this Mongabay article, “after mara and other trees are cut down, coca crops – from which cocaine is made – are often planted illegally in the new clearings.“

Unfortunately, park authorities say they are “powerless to stop the onslaught.”

“The protection of Madidi National Park’s 1.8 million ha (4.4 million acres) is tasked to just 26 rangers. Two of these rangers were assigned to the San Fermin protection camp before Uzquiano removed them due to safety concerns. Because of the hostility of the local population, Uzquiano says that at least four rangers are necessary to properly monitor the area and coordinate enforcement with the military. He added that other improvements are also sorely needed. “The camps that we have are falling apart,” he said. “It is necessary to improve the infrastructure, the communication, and to improve our coordination so that the park rangers feel supported.”

Will politics shelve Argentine-Bolivia interconnection plans?

This BNAmericas article discusses the status of plans to export electricity from Bolivia to neighboring countries of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Peru. Per the article: “There's much opposition to developing giant [Bolivian hydro] projects such as El Chepete and El Bala to export to Brazil, due to the environmental impact. It's unlikely these big plants will go ahead because of this opposition and because of the difficulties Bolivia has in connecting transmission networks to export markets,” Hugo del Granado Cosio, director of HGC Consultores, told BNamericas previously. Bolivia has also reached out to Paraguay and Peru to determine the potential export of surplus electricity.”

Ministry of Energy rules out continuing with questionable projects such as Chepete, Bala and Rositas

According to this Spanish-language article, the Bolivian “Minister of Energy, Rodrigo Guzmán, said Tuesday that hydroelectric projects that are in question due to possible damage to the environment, such as Chepete, El Bala or Rositas, will not be part of that office’s portfolio of projects..” He expressed regret “that the previous Government (MAS) insisted on executing these projects, despite fierce opposition of citizens, who questioned those initiatives because they were going to affect the environment… large projects that have been questioned for the environmental damages …will not be part of the institution or of the project portfolio of the Ministry of Energy (...), we are talking about the projects el Chepete, El Bala and de Rositas, questionable projects, with many problems with citizens,”he told reporters. In his view, the MAS Government was not interested in the environmental damage caused by these projects. "We are not going to do it and as long as these projects are not corrected and coordinated with the people of the sector, they will not be part of this Government," he insisted.”

Promote Rurrenabaque as a tourist destination

Per this Spanish-language article, the transitional Bolivian government is starting an effort to promote Rurrenbaque as a tourist destination and gateway to the Amazon. The Minister of Culture and Tourism and Vice Minister “plan to hold a series of meetings with municipal authorities and tourism operators to define short, medium and long term actions…the private sector and members of the Tourism Council of the Tourist Destination Rurrenabaque Madidi - Pampas will lead both authorities to navigate the Beni River in order to know the potential that allows the promotion and dissemination of these majestic places.” The recent recognition of Rurrenbaque as a “sustainable destination” will also be developed and promoted to improve Rurrenbaque’s attractiveness for tourists.

Rurrenbaque, Bolivia - A new protected area invites visitors to see rare monkeys and pink dolphins

In the New York Times list of 52 destinations to visit in 2020, Rurrenbaque is listed as #3: “The small town of Rurrenabaque is the gateway to a lush and thrillingly beautiful part of northwestern Bolivia that offers a twofer for tourists passionate about supporting efforts toward sustainability and protecting endangered species. Bolivia just won an award for Best Green Destination from World Travel Awards for its efforts in making this entire region — packed with roaring waterfalls and rare wildlife, and home to many Indigenous groups — sustainable while launching programs for ecotourism. Here visitors will find Madidi, one of the world’s most biodiverse protected areas, and Rhukanrhuka, an area of tropical rainforest and natural grasslands almost as large as Yellowstone. In June 2019, the Reyes municipal government (in partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Rainforest Trust) designated Rhukanrhuka a protected area, one that will conserve endangered titi monkeys, pink river dolphins and other rare wildlife. Go now to take advantage of this newly inviting area before other tourists arrive; the Wildlife Conservation Society has a list of operators it recommends.” See the entire list here.

Reconsidered: Rositas, the controversial “death dam”

On December 20, the Minister of Environment participated in a meeting with ENDE and the Government of Santa Cruz to resume the Rositas dam project. “Data from the 60s, was promoted in the 70s, resumed in 2012 and today "reconsidered" by the government of Añez.” The estimated cost during the Morales government was more than 1.5 billion dollars, financed almost entirely by a Chinese loan. The project was suspended by the Morales government in October 2018, and is now again being considered as a “desired project” despite the technical data documenting the drastic environmental and social impact since the river would be diverted, the communities would be relocated and several protected areas would be drastically affected.

“Indigeneous communities denounced the meeting” claiming that” it was intended to redirect the project without consensus with those affected. Given these accusations, the minister clarified that the” mega-dam “will not be executed without the support of communities. However” she “said” “It is a project longed for by the people of” Santa Cruz “because it is a development project.”

On behalf of the Government of Santa Cruz, Roly Aguilera, pointed out as advantages of the work “the control of floods in the Rio Grande that affect producers, the hydroelectric plant that will inject 600 megawatts of electricity into the national integrated system, potable drinking water that will be generated and, finally, the irrigation system that will be implemented ”

“Seven days after the meeting, the Committee on Defense of Land and Territory declared an emergency and permanent mobilization. Through a manifesto the Committee reiterated its refusal to the project and reiterated that “for irrigation it is not necessary to build the death dam”.

“Instead of insisting on this, the new authorities should be supervising the works currently carried out by the Chinese in Bolivia, which report many irregularities with the environment, ”said Miranda.

Although the resurrection of the project is presented as a push for agribusiness, “it will not be so.” “Pablo Solón, researcher and specialist in the subject, warns that the only sector that would really benefit from the hydroelectric plant would be construction.”

The mega-dam “would generate electricity at a cost of US $ 74.33 per megawatt hour (US $ / MWh) when the average purchase price is US $ 41 / MWh…Additionally, Bolivia has an offer of 3,200 MW of installed power and demand nationwide only reaches 1,600 MW…This shows that there is no need for self-consumption to justify the work and there are no export contracts that guarantee the investment.”

Read the entire Spanish-language article here.