- In 2024, Bolivia suffered its worst wildfire season, with 12.6 million hectares burned—an area equivalent to Cuba.
- Rosa Pachurí Paraba, president of ORMICH, is leading efforts in the Chiquitanía region to restore food sovereignty for Indigenous communities.
- Communities are reviving ancestral practices like bartering and integrating traditional knowledge with modern fire management to combat the ongoing climate crisis.
The 2024 Catastrophe
- The Ombudsman’s Office reported that 12,658,157 hectares were devastated by uncontrolled fires.
- The Santa Cruz department was hit hardest, losing 8.5 million hectares, representing 68 percent of its total territory.
- The fires destroyed critical biodiversity, including the humus layer and seed banks necessary for forest regeneration, and severely impacted local water and food supplies.
Community-Led Response
- Following a delayed government response, Indigenous communities organized environmental monitors and created trained brigades for future prevention.
- Rosa Pachurí Paraba and ORMICH mobilized to provide shelter and essential resources to displaced families.
- The "Casa Grande" project serves as a key economic hub, supporting women through the sale of handicrafts and cosmetics.
Ancestral Wisdom and Future Sustainability
- Food security is being maintained through the revival of communal bartering, allowing families to exchange diverse crops.
- Indigenous groups like the Monkox people are utilizing controlled burning protocols, which serve as a traditional method to fertilize and aerate soil.
- Organizations like Fundación Alternativas recommend strategies including polyculture farming, sustainable irrigation, and the strengthening of local food processing enterprises to build long-term climate resilience.