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SEI researchers are analysing the impacts of climate change and human activity on bofedales, a unique high-elevation wetland typically situated in the Andes Mountains of South America, in the Katari watershed, Bolivia.
Photo: Anton Petrus / Getty Images.
Bofedales are a type of high-elevation wetlands with a unique floristic composition that are typically situated in the Andes Mountains above 3800 metres.
Over recent decades, the health of the bofedales in Bolivia generally, and in the La Paz-El Alto region specifically, has been deteriorating due to overgrazing, urbanization, construction of dams, and uncontrolled groundwater extractions that support mining activity. Evidence indicates that climate change is also damaging these wetlands, though these exact impacts are still poorly understood.
This factsheet summarizes the project conducted by SEI as a first step towards better monitoring and understanding the impacts of climate and human activity on the Bolivian bofedales. Supported by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), SEI worked closely with national and local governments, including the Bolivian Ministry of Environment and many scientific counterparts.
Project / SEI researchers use Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing tools to develop solutions for water and natural resource management issues.
Project / SEI researchers use Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing tools to develop solutions for water and natural resource management issues.
SEI brief / Researchers worked with key actors in Bolivia to build a framework to help policymakers integrate water and forest restoration planning.
Journal article / This study examines how the continued development of hydroelectric dams could affect one of the largest wetland systems in South America.
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