The Gran Chaco Pathways Towards a Sustainable Future 2025

Bolivia situation update Gaps in environmental policy implementation: Bolivia faces substantial challenges in implementing effective environmental policies. For instance, under Law 1333, controlled burns are often authorized by the forestry authority without proper monitoring, frequently escalating into large-scale forest fires. Absence of specific zoning regulations: While Argentina has its Forest Law and Paraguay has controlled deforestation policies, the absence of specific zoning regulations in Bolivia limits the government’s ability to manage deforestation beyond protected areas, exacerbating environmental degradation. Strategies for strengthening institutional stability in the Gran Chaco BOX 15 A robust and stable national and regional regulatory framework is essential for advancing sustainable development in the Gran Chaco. The following approaches and examples highlight the effectiveness of well-designed legal frameworks and incentive-based policies in balancing economic development with environmental conservation: –Strengthen legal frameworks: Strengthening legal frameworks is essential for reducing deforestation and promoting sustainable land use. Brazil’s Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Legal Amazon (PPCDAm), launched in 2004, reduced deforestation rates by 83% between 2004 and 2012 through a combination of law enforcement, territorial planning and sustainable development initiatives.84 –Incentivize conservation: Costa Rica’s Payments for Environmental Services Program (PES), introduced in 1997, incentivizes landowners to conserve forests by compensating them for ecosystem services. This programme has been instrumental in reversing deforestation trends, increasing forest cover to approximately 54% of the country’s territory.85 –Introduce tradeable certificates: In Paraguay, the Environmental Services Regime is a key policy tool to promote conservation, by allowing landowners to generate environmental services certificates (CSA), which can be traded to compensate for unavoidable environmental impacts. However, opportunities exist to enhance its effectiveness, including increasing resources for CSA acquisition, improving mechanisms for their commercialization and facilitating the inclusion of Indigenous communities in CSA transactions.86 To replicate these successes, it is crucial to develop and enforce context-specific legislation for the Gran Chaco, integrating strong governance, financial incentives and monitoring mechanisms to ensure long-term sustainability. To address current enforcement challenges, key actions to consider include: –Increase bureaucratic capacity: Expand technical and monitoring capabilities, enhance enforcement mechanisms and strengthen sanctioning authority to ensure compliance. –Foster collaboration: Facilitate partnerships between state authorities, private sector actors and local communities to align conservation goals with sustainable economic activities. –Scale-up incentives: Expand financial mechanisms, such as tax exemptions, conservation funding and the strengthening of payment for ecosystem services (PES) schemes, to promote and reward sustainable practices across the region. 38 The Gran Chaco: Pathways Towards a Sustainable Future