Soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivation methods, such as slash and burn agriculture are pressing environmental issues in the Cochabamba valley. Over the past few decades, use of chemical fertilizers and overexploitation of renewable resources has all but destroyed the sustainability of agricultural lands by creating a gaping deficit between nutrients added and nutrients taken from the soil.

To read about Environmental issues in Bolivia, click here.

In response, interns, volunteers, and donors work with FSD to:

• Assist professors at the local university who teach undergraduate and post graduate classes in the sustainable management of natural resources, while supporting research into new practices and technology of agro-ecology preservation.
• Investigate and implement cost-effective approaches to improve community habitats through ecological sanitation systems, composting, and proper management of water systems.
• Raise awareness in society and the government about sustainable management of natural resources for the increased production and consumption of ecologically aware products.
• Implement sustainable agriculture and ecology projects at local schools. Projects include crop diversification, fertilization methods, and soil maintenance.
• Provide environmental legal consulting for the purpose of shifting local land use policies.
• Build and maintain organic gardens in the community of Maria Auxiliadora, a cooperatively run neighborhood for women who have experienced intra-familial violence.
• Support neighborhood political organizations in the Zona Sur of Cochabamba, which is a peri-urban area home to indigenous, migrant, socioeconomically excluded residents. Collaborative projects revolve around potable water, irrigation, sewage systems, and other infrastructural needs.

Read more about Environment programs and opportunities initiated by our Community Partners in Bolivia.

For a description of the Environment opportunities available in each country, click on the links below:

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