Bolivia is a megadiversity country and a developing country

Abstract

Bolivia has access to the most important ecological regions of tropical South America. It is one of the few countries in the world to have a major portion of global biodiversity concentrated within its national boundaries. Bolivia is also a centre of crop-genetic resources of global importance. Biodiversity is a main factor in great ethnocultural diversity which implies a broad indigenous knowledge of its utilization for human development. Although Bolivia may be called a ‘rich’ megadiversity country, it is also one of the world’s poorest nations in economic and human development terms. Ironically, poverty has been a key factor in the conservation of Bolivia’s biodiversity. Today, Bolivia still has some of the most extensive forests in the world. This is due to a very low human population density, especially in the lowlands, and to a lack of means for accessing and rapidly exploiting the country’s natural resources. However, recent years have been marked by dynamic economic development. A surge of economic and development activities such as agro-industry, oil exploitation, timber extraction and road construction is leading to biodiversity degradation not only in Bolivia, but throughout the entire world. On the other hand, poverty —especially in traditionally settled and cultivated regions of the Andes —has set up a vicious circle of famine, migration, agricultural frontier encroachment and deforestation. In Bolivia, this complex mixture of underdevelopment and development is causing biodiversity loss. The time has come to test and implement concepts for sustainable development which incorporate the non-extractive and sustainable utilization of biodiversity wherever possible, while guaranteeing the conservation of biodiversity. It is necessary to intensify land use in regions that are already disturbed or degraded so that ecosystems that are still intact can be preserved. In some regions, perhaps the only efficient way to guarantee conservation might be to revoke the right to utilize national resources. But this renouncing cannot be taken for granted. Who should foot the bill? In the international game of politics the megadiversity country Bolivia holds the trump in its hand and just needs to play and make it count: It could either demand the international community to reimburse it for conserving its biodiversity —as environmental service to the ‘global village’ —or it could exploit and deplete its natural resources for its own short-term national development! There is no alternative: The world community —and the rich, industrialized countries in particular -have to compensate Bolivia for the environmental services it offers, and which up to now have been seen as being free of charge. This investment, an economic cooperation between partners with a mutual interest, transcends humanitarian aid. In this context, the “Debt-for-nature-swaps” concept is not sufficient; the “Global Environment Facility” seems to be more adequate. However, more compensation instruments and mechanisms should be developed and implemented. A possible goal could be bilateral or multilateral alliances between megadiversity and ‘mega-economy’ countries which aim at a joint implementation of the internationally accorded conventions and agendas on biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Development research and policy have a number of tasks to fulfil in developing and assisting this new type of cooperation. Bolivia- a megadiversity country with excellent political conditions —should be an ideal partner.