Potosi – Uyuni: an environmental conservation road
In addition to promoting integration infrastructure, the highway has been a means to promote sustainable development with economic and social inclusion in low income communities, and to execute actions for the area's environmental conservation.
In the case of the Potosi-Uyuni highway, social and environmental projects were executed to improve the productive capacities of the communities neighboring the highway, and to conserve the area's ecosystems. These projects were executed by theAdministradora Boliviana de Carreteras(Bolivian Highway Administrator)(ABC, for its acronym in Spanish).
Considering the region's culture, based on llama raising, the main modules of the Centro de Capacitación y Transformación del Museo de la Llama y de las Praderas Andinas (Training and Transformation Center of the Llama Museum and the Andean Prairies), were built to provide training to community members and children with respect to management of the prairies and camelid cattle, and tourism in the area. Plans for the future include offering gastronomic services based on camelid meat and Andean teas, as well as stores to sell llama products.
Desertification is also considered in the environmental sphere. This is one of the main problems in Bolivia, with almost irreversible effects on ecosystems, biodiversity, and the land, as well as being closely connected to the problem of extreme poverty in the country's rural areas. The conservation of wetlands in the highlands (bofedales) was also promoted.
TheBofedal de Chaquilllais found in the area, which is one of the most important in Bolivia and the largest in the Department of Potosi.
The program Model for the Restoration, Management, and Conservation of Wetlands (Bofedales) was established as a result of the impact of the highway on the area's wetlands. The necessary technical measures were implemented to restore 30 hectares of degraded wetlands in the community of Chaquilla, and model practices to protect the prairies for the community members of the area.
Another project that complements the highways is the Management Model for Solid Residues, aimed at supporting the development of tourism activities and improving the environmental quality of the accesses to the city of Uyuni.
Thus, CAF seeks to consolidate its role as Bolivia's partner in achieving its development objectives, transcending its financial role.
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