case studies undp: captaincy of the upper and lower izozog (cabi), bolivia

7/27/2019 Case Studies UNDP: CAPTAINCY OF THE UPPER AND LOWER IZOZOG (CABI), BOLIVIA

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Equator Initiative Case StudiesLocal sustainable development solutions for people, nature, and resilient communities

Bolivia

CAPTAINCY OF THE UPPERAND LOWER IZOZOG (CABI)

Empowered live

Resilient nation



UNDP EQUATOR INITIATIVE CASE STUDY SERIES

Local and indigenous communities across the world are advancing innovative sustainable development solutions that wo

or people and or nature. Few publications or case studies tell the ull story o how such initiatives evolve, the breadth

their impacts, or how they change over time. Fewer still have undertaken to tell these stories with community practition

themselves guiding the narrative.

To mark its 10-year anniversary, the Equator Initiative aims to ll this gap. The ollowing case study is one in a growing ser

that details the work o Equator Prize winners – vetted and peer-reviewed best practices in community-based environmenconservation and sustainable livelihoods. These cases are intended to inspire the policy dialogue needed to take local succ

to scale, to improve the global knowledge base on local environment and development solutions, and to serve as models

replication. Case studies are best viewed and understood with reerence to ‘The Power o Local Action: Lessons rom 10 Years

the Equator Prize’, a compendium o lessons learned and policy guidance that draws rom the case material.

Click on the map to visit the Equator Initiative’s searchable case study database.

EditorsEditor-in-Chie: Joseph Corcoran

Managing Editor: Oliver HughesContributing Editors: Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Erin Lewis, Whitney Wilding

Contributing WritersEdayatu Abieodun Lamptey, Erin Atwell, Toni Blackman, Jonathan Clay, Joseph Corcoran, Larissa Currado, Sarah Gordon, Oliver Hughe

Wen-Juan Jiang, Sonal Kanabar, Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Rachael Lader, Patrick Lee, Erin Lewis, Jona Liebl, Mengning Ma,

Mary McGraw, Gabriele Orlandi, Juliana Quaresma, Peter Schecter, Martin Sommerschuh, Whitney Wilding, Luna Wu

DesignOliver Hughes, Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Amy Korngiebel, Kimberly Koserowski, Erin Lewis, John Mulqueen, Lorena de la Pa

Brandon Payne, Mariajosé Satizábal G.

AcknowledgementsThe Equator Initiative acknowledges with gratitude the guidance and inputs o the Captaincy o the Upper and Lower Izozog. Ph

credits courtesy o Rossy R. Montaño ( page 4, top; 6, top) and Hal Noss (cover photo; pages 4, bottom; 6, bottom; 7; 8; 9). Maps courtesy

CIA World Factbook and Wikipedia.

Suggested CitationUnited Nations Development Programme. 2012. Captaincy o the Upper and Lower Izozog (CABI), Bolivia. Equator Initiative Case Stu

Series. New York, NY.

http://equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/events/2012events/Book_Launch/power%2520of%2520local%2520action%2520final%25202013%25208mb.pdf




http://equatorinitiative.org/index.php?option=com_winners&view=casestudysearch&Itemid=858





PROJECT SUMMARY The Captaincy o the Upper and Lower Izozog (Capitaniadel Alto y Bajo Izozog - CABI) represents more than 10,000members o Bolivia’s Izoceño-Guaraní people in a landmark co-management agreement in the country’s Gran Chacoregion. With technical support rom the Wildlie ConservationSociety, CABI negotiated with the Bolivian government orestablishment o the 3.4 million-hectare Kaa-Iya del GranChaco National Park and Integrated Management NaturalArea, one o the largest national parks in South America.

The innovative management agreement at the heart o the park’s creation gives co-management rights to theIzoceño-Guaraní people. CABI has also successully lobbiedor titling o indigenous territories within the park, with theeventual aim o acquiring ownership o around 1.5 millionhectares. These gains have helped to protect the people’sland rom the threats posed by large-scale cattle ranchingand commercial soybean, sunower, and cotton arming.

KEY FACTS

EQUATOR PRIZE WINNER: 2004

FOUNDED: 1991

LOCATION: Gran Chaco region, Bolivia

BENEFICIARIES: 23 communities along the Parapetí River

BIODIVERSITY: Kaa-lya del Gran Chaco National Park

3

CAPTAINCY OF THE UPPER AND LOWERIZOZOG (CABI)Bolivia

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Background and Context 4

Biodiversity Impacts 6

Socioeconomic Impacts 7

Sustainability 8

Partners 9



4

he Captaincy o the Upper and Lower Izozog (Capitanía del Alto

Bajo Izozog, or CABI) is a grassroots indigenous organization

epresenting 10,000 members o Bolivia’s Izoceño-Guaraní people,

ving in 23 communities along the Parapetí River in the Gran Chaco

egion, south o the Bañados de Izozog wetlands. The group has

een instrumental in achieving recognition o land ownership rights

or indigenous groups throughout Bolivia. In 1995, CABI helped to

reate the 3.4 million-hectare Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park

nd Integrated Management Natural Area (Parque Nacional y Area

Natural de Manejo Integrado Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco), one o the

argest national parks in South America.

A landmark case or land rights in Bolivia

n the lowlands o Eastern Bolivia, land rights are at the heart o the

nter-connected challenges o preserving an indigenous people’s

way o lie and a unique tract o dry tropical orest. The case o Capitanía del Alto y Bajo Izozog demonstrates the importance o

egotiating land tenure amidst diering land uses and user groups.

he pre-Hispanic Guaraní-Izoceño people have sustainably armed

nd hunted in the isolated and biologically diverse Gran Chaco

egion or centuries. In recent decades, however, large-scale cattle

anching and commercial soybean, sunower, and cotton arming

ave encroached upon traditional indigenous territory, damaging

he land through deorestation and soil degradation. Lacking tenure

ghts over the public lands they lived on and utilized, the Guaraní-zoceño were powerless to prevent these incursions.

Negotiations between Bolivia’s government and CABI, on behal o

he Guaraní-Izoceño, began in the 1990s, resulting in two landmark

greements. With technical support rom the Wildlie Conservation

ociety, CABI successully proposed the establishment o the Kaa-

ya del Gran Chaco National Park and Integrated Management

Area (KINP) in 1995. The organization was subsequently named

o-administrator o the park. At 3.4 million hectares o uninhabited

orest and scrubland, the park is the largest protected area in Bolivia,

and contains the largest area o dry tropical orest under prote

in the world.

Establishing the national park was part o a broader CABI

management strategy, however. In 1997, CABI presente

Background and Context



55

emand or a Tierra Comunitaria de Orígen (TCO) – a designated

ndigenous territory – under Bolivia’s new agrarian reorm law. The

overnment approved the request, while retaining ownership rights

o underground minerals and awarding water rights to the local

municipal government. By the end o 2012, 560,000 hectares o

he Izoceño TCO had been titled, along with an additional 165,000

a o private land. Almost all o the remaining area has completed

he technical requirements or titles to be issued, and requires only

decision by the president to sign the titles. When the process isomplete, approximately 1.2 million hectares o ormerly public

and will be owned by CABI, as the indigenous people’s legal

epresentative, with the remainder o the 1.9 million hectares in

rivate, nonindigenous ownership. In contrast to other cases in

olivia, where parks and indigenous territorial claims overlap and

re a source o conict, CABI’s approach created the opportunity to

manage a total o 5.3 million hectares o the Bolivian Chaco based on

rinciples o rainorest conservation and sustainable use o wildlie

nd other natural resources.

A basis or sustainable local resource management

or the Guaraní-Izoceño, the outcome was a pragmatic compromise.

On the one hand, they relinquished any ownership claim to the land

encompassed by the Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park. On

other hand, the community now own the sole right to exploi

land and orests o their titled territory. This represents a major

towards saeguarding their livelihoods and uture survival, a

recognised as a breakthrough indigenous land rights case in Bo

The Guaraní-Izoceño were also able to negotiate a major inu

over the park, which is the only national park in the Ame

actively co-managed by an indigenous organization and a natgovernment. The group won the right to pursue sustainable activ

such as ecotourism and shing, in some park areas, while closin

entire area to new settlers. The proposal or a co-managed nat

park was reviewed in community meetings prior to its submis

the border was designed in such a way as to minimize conict

allay concerns over the loss o livelihoods, and excluded areas uti

by communities or occupied by third parties rom the park. The

also allows a non-contacted group o Ayoreode hunter-gathere

continue their traditional nomadic liestyle, albeit within a restr

range compared to their historical practices. A participatory

use zoning approach has allowed CABI to reach agreements

the majority o the ranchers and armers in the area, creating a

or broad participation in the management o the national park

settling conicts that obstructed titling its territorial claim.

Fig. 1: Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park, Bolivia

Source: Arambiza, E. and Painter, M. 2006.



6

Impacts

BIODIVERSITY IMPACTS

The Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park incorporates approximately

20% o the Bolivian portion o the Gran Chaco, a vast eco-region

hared with Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. The 3.4 million-hectare

park is home to viable populations o several agship species,

including the jaguar (Panthera onca) – with roughly 1,000 individ

the park is home to the largest documented population in the w

– and the endemic Chacoan peccary (Catagonus wagneri ), kn

locally as “tagua” or the quilimero pig.

A critical sanctuary or biological diversity

Other wildlie species in the park are typical o the Chaqu

plains region, including 89 species o snakes, 301 species o b

65 species o small mammals, and 59 species o large mamm

As well as jaguars and Chacoan peccaries, mammal species

as armadillos (Tolypeutes matacus and Chlamyphorus retusus)

Chacoan Mara, Conover’s Tuco-tuco, puma, ocelot and maned are all common in the region. The presence o guanacos has

conrmed in the sand-dunes in the south-east o the natural

the White-lipped peccary, Silvery marmoset, Black howler mon

tapir, pampas deer, Bare-aced Curassow, Crowned eagle and B

and-white Hawk-Eagle can also be ound within the park.

The immense importance o this protected area or biolo

diversity is urther underlined by the 880 species o vascular p

registered within its boundaries. Some examples are the quebr

(Schinopsis lorentzii ), black guayacán, soto de arenales (Schin

corneta), and cupesí (Prosopis chilensis). Other important sp

include the oss silk tree (Chorisia speciosa), Iberá-Bira (Caesal

paraguariensis), mistol ( Ziziphus mistol ), and a variety o palm spe

Monitoring and conservation o agship species

As well as helping to design and implement the Kaa-Iya Nat

Park management plan, approved by the Bolivian governme

2000, CABI has also led complementary conservation eorts w

the Izoceño TCO. For instance, their indigenous territory is hom

the only population o the Chacoan guanaco (Lama guanicoe vo

the most highly endangered vertebrate in Bolivia. CABI has ra

unds or a protection campaign conducted with municipalities



anchers’ associations in the area, and has assigned a technical team

o study the species and promote its conservation. In particular,

hese eorts have ocussed on rangeland management measures

hat allow livestock production or communities and private

anchers, while ensuring guanaco conservation.

Controlled wildlie hunting; wetlands conservationAlso within the community’s traditional lands, the Bolivian

government has explored the legalization o sustainable commercial

wildlie exploitation. This is currently in its pilot phase, and has

allowed individual land owners to hunt selected species. The Izoceño

people have demonstrated interest in producing commercial

hunting proposals or a number o species within the TCO, including

parrots ( Amazona aestiva and Myiopsitta monachus), Red Tegu lizardsTupinambis ruescens), and Collared Peccaries (Tayassu tajacu).

The sustainable use o natural resources in the Gran Chaco was

boosted in September 2001 with the declaration o two local Ramsar

ites. The rst lies completely within the Kaa-Iya National Park, whilehe second site is shared by the national park and the Izoceño TCO,

ncluding the narrow strip o riverine orest along the Parapetí river

n which the Izoceño communities and their agricultural activities

are concentrated. The appropriate management o this area along

Ramsar guidelines has promoted the conservation o this critical

habitat, while supporting Izoceño livelihoods through the long-

erm use o resources including arable land, uelwood, and timber,

he production o mesquite our and native honey, and small-scale

sheries.

SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS

The deence o their indigenous lands and securing acces

resources contained within them constitute the primary socia

economic impacts o CABI’s work on behal o the Izoceño-Gua

people. This has been consolidated through the creation o the

Iya National Park and the titling o the Izoceño TCO, with the l

in particular ensuring that the community is able to benet

land ownership and the sustainable use o their natural resouIn addition, the structure o CABI has acilitated a more equit

distribution o benets – such as employment and developm

projects – across the 23 communities, and has mainta

communal access to natural resources without imposing restric

or boundaries among communities. Land rights have thereore

integral to improved ood and livelihood security.

Livelihood diversifcation

Eorts to increase household incomes have been based upon

revitalization o traditional production systems, incorporating v

addition to encourage the sustainable use o resources. Wo

villagers have experimented with the production o mesquite

and sh meal or sale in the Izoceño communities. Plant-b

shampoo and honey are also being commercially developed

sale in Santa Cruz, the regional capital. These activities are man

by CABI’s women’s organization, the Inter-Communal Centre

the Women o the Izoceño Communities (CIMCI), whose goal

to empower women, promote traditional culture, improve

availability and nutrition, and boost indigenous incomes. Accor

to a recent study, the success o these enterprises relies on bui

stronger and more equitable economic links with the expan

market-driven economy o Santa Cruz.

In 2003, CABI evaluated the ecotourism potential o the reidentiying a number o sites or the development o tourism aci

This has the potential to promote conservation within the nat

park and the Izoceño TCO, while producing economic benet

local communities. Pilot ecotourism initiatives have been condu

in partnership with Gas TransBoliviano, Servicio Nacional de A

Protegidas (SERNAP), USAID, and private land-owners.

Environmental education

Since 1996, meanwhile, with support rom the Wildlie Conserv

Society, CABI has implemented an environmental educa

programme throughout the Izozog school system, against

background o national education reorm. This environmecurriculum has been adopted in sixteen local schools, with

support o 90 teachers and reaching approximately 2,000 stud

Supporting materials include a series o teaching manuals, and

course has been adopted by a local teacher training college. In 2

the Izoceño environmental education team worked with UNIC

preparing a guide to environmental education in schools. This t

is currently applying a schoolyard ecology programme – Educa

de la Ecología en el Patio de la Escuela – in schools in Izo

communities and in other communities surrounding the Ka

National Park.

7



8

Sustainability and Replication

SUSTAINABILITYhe conditional nature o the tribe’s land rights is underlined by the

resence o the 1,900-mile Bolivia-Brazil pipeline, which bisects both

he Kaa-Iya National Park and the TCO. The pipeline was approved

eore either the park or indigenous territory was created, and

he government retains rights to energy resources in the area. As

consequence, Bolivia’s government has granted urther gas and

il exploration concessions in both the KINP and the indigenous

erritory.

Turning an environmental threat into opportunity

ollowing a landmark agreement between the Izoceño and the

ponsors o the pipeline, however, energy companies are required

o work with CABI to mitigate their social and environmental

mpacts. The organization led negotiations with Gas TransBoliviano

hat established the right o local populations to participate in the

enition o compensation and mitigation programs related to the

mpacts associated with hydrocarbon development. As a result o

hese negotiations, a sum o USD 1.5 million was agreed to support

tling o indigenous lands. This was a threeold increase rom the

USD 500,000 originally proposed. This has covered the titling o

he 273,000-hectare Ayoreode TCO and the titling o community

ands or 43 Chiquitano communities living in the pipeline’s area o

nuence, leaving USD 730,000 or the titling o the Izoceño TCO. Thegreement also established a USD 1 million trust und to support the

ational park.

n 2003, CABI and Gas TransBoliviano co-ounded the Kaa-Iya

oundation, which manages the national park’s trust und and

as sought to generate new and additional resources. To date, the

oundation has raised matching unds rom the Weeden Foundation

or each dollar generated by the trust und – totalling USD 55,250 in

002-2003 – and raised an additional USD 65,000 to purchase a ranch

roperty within the Kaa-Iya National Park that has subsequently

een restored as wetlands. This trust und made up 43 percent o the



99

ark’s budget between 1998 and 2003, and has largely supported

he park’s management when government unding has not been

vailable.

he Izoceño communities have also benetted substantially rom

he arrangement. As part o the compensation programme, CABI

as designed a Development Plan or Indigenous Peoples which

ncludes a range o productive activities or local communities,

ncluding the provision o hand pumps to ensure household water

upplies and community livestock ranches, both based on revolvingredit systems to recover and re-invest nancial resources. CABI

as also worked with Bolivia’s National Agrarian Reorm Institute to

esign an approach or land titling that has reduced the cost rom an

fcial estimate o USD 3 per hectare to USD 0.36 per hectare.

n 2001, these eorts led to the International Association o Impact

ssessment recognizing the Bolivia-Brazil Gas Pipeline or excellence

n addressing environmental and social impacts associated with a

major inrastructure project. In 2002, CABI received the XI Annual

artolomé de las Casas prize rom the Government o Spain, or

xtraordinary contributions to environmental conservation and the

eence o indigenous cultures.

he success o CABI’s lobbying and advocacy eorts have ensured

he sustainability o the organization itsel – urther supported by

he reorm o its administrative procedures and annual external

udits to ensure its transparent administration – the environmental

ntegrity o the national park, and a long-term source o unding or

he development o Izoceño communities.

PARTNERS

Strategic partnerships have been crucial to the success o

Captaincy o the Upper and Lower Izozog. Initial contacts betw

CABI and the Wildlie Conservation Society (WCS) date back to 1

with the rst major initiatives beginning in 1994. WCS remains C

most important partner, providing technical support in elabora

the proposal or the creation o the KINP (1994), and in desig

and executing the management o the Kaa-Iya National Park and TCO since 1997.

Servicio Nacional de Areas Protegidas (SERNAP) is the governm

authority responsible or the administration o the national sys

o protected areas; CABI co-manages the Kaa-Iya National Park

SERNAP as part an agreement signed with the Ministry o Sustain

Development and Planning.

Gas TransBoliviano (GTB) is the private company that o

and operates the Bolivia-Brazil gas pipeline. Forming the

Iya Foundation in 2003, CABI and GTB have created a volun

association to promote biodiversity conservation in and around

national park.

United States Agency or International Development (USAID)

provided nancial support or the project since 1996.



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FURTHER REFERENCE

Arambiza, E. and Painter M. 2006. Biodiversity Conservation and the Quality o Lie o Indigenous People in the Bolivian Chaco. Human O

nization, Vol. 65, No. 1. Society or Applied Anthropology. http://www.ibcperu.org/doc/isis/11576.pd

USAID. 1997. Participatory Practices: Learning From Experience, Procurement Alternative or Collaboration: USAID/Bolivia’s Chaco Initia

http://www.equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/2004winners/CABI/pnacc040.pd

http://www.ibcperu.org/doc/isis/11576.pdf

http://www.equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/2004winners/CABI/pnacc040.pdf



http://www.ibcperu.org/doc/isis/11576.pdf

http://www.equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/com_winners/casestudy/case_1348153030.pdf



case studies undp: captaincy of the upper and lower izozog (cabi), bolivia

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