Technical visits to community initiatives in southeastern Bolivia highlight the leadership of Indigenous peoples and women in environmental protection and community strengthening.
On August 4 and 5, 2025, a multidisciplinary group of representatives from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru toured the Chiquitania region, located in the far southeast of Bolivia and covering much of the department of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. The group included representatives from the Bolivian Institute of Forest Research (IBIF), Tropenbos Colômbia and the Tropical Conservation and Development Program (TCD) at the University of Florida (UF).
The first technical visit took place at Lomerio Native Community Land (TCO), bringing together representatives of the Territorial Technical Unit (UTT) of the Central of Indigenous of Native Communities of Lomerio (CICOL) and the Organization of Indigenous Women Monkoxi of Lomerio (OMIML). During this visit, participants presented and discussed collaborative management initiatives of communal lands, including the management of forest resources such as timber in partnership with companies, and the role of women and youth in monitoring the territory, particularly in response to the high risks of forest fires in the region.
Picture from IBIF’s report “Sistematización de la experiencia de monitoreo, control de quemas y reducción de riesgos por incendios forestales en la TCO Lomerío CICOL.” This document describes the problem of forest fires in the region and the actions and lessons learned by CICOL in monitoring and controlling fires in recent years. https://ibifbolivia.org.bo/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/sistematizacion-quemas.pdf
TCO in Bolivia is a designation given to autonomous indigenous and community-owned lands. The 2009 Bolivian Constitution guarantees indigenous peoples the rights to natural resources found on their communal lands. Specifically, the Lomerio TCO covers an area of more than 200,000 hectares. Lomerio, together with the Paikoneca communities of San Javier and Conceição, share another TCO called Monte Verde, which covers an area of approximately 1 million hectares. The region has a history marked by struggles for Indigenous autonomy and territorial recognition, which resulted in the creation of a community-based governance system and sustainable management of natural resources. Today, it faces pressures such as deforestation, forest fires, the expansion of the agricultural frontier, and mining.
Representatives of the Territorial Technical Unit of the Indigenous Central of Native Communities of Lomerio (CICOL), Indigenous women from the Organization of Indigenous Women Monkoxi of Lomerio (OMIML), and representatives from the Bolivian Institute of Forest Research (IBIF), Tropenbos Colombia, and the Tropical Conservation and Development Program at the University of Florida during a technical visit to the San Juan de Lomerio Native Community Land (TCO) in Bolivia. Photo: Reina García, CICOL communicator.
Representatives of OMIML, an organization that brings together environmental monitors and community leaders, explained that one of their main areas of work is the prevention of forest fires, but they also focus on strengthening women’s leadership autonomy and economic empowerment.
Indigenous leader from the Organization of Indigenous Women Monkoxi of Lomerio (OMIML) presenting the women’s initiative in the San Juan de Lomerio Native Community Land (TCO), Bolivia. Photo: Carolina Simon-Pardo, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Florida.
Juana Tomicha Parapaino, a member of OMIML and coordinator for Economy and Production, emphasized: “Monitoring is very important for us women, because we are the first to be affected within our territory and community. It teaches us how to prevent fires during the dry season, when we are at risk of losing our forests. This brings consequences such as water and food scarcity, and many times we have to leave home to look for water for the animals and for human consumption, since we do not have a potable water system in the region.”
Juana Tomicha Parapaino, integrante da Organización de Mujeres Indígenas Monkoxt de Lomerio – OMIML e responsável pela coordenação de Economia e Produção.
▶️Ouça o áudio da fala de Juana Parapaino (apenas em espanhol):
The presence of women in environmental and territorial monitoring was also highlighted by Verónica Castro Mendoza, an OMIML monitor who works in partnership with CICOL: “Before, I worked almost alone, with ten men and only one other woman. Today we already have six new monitors that we will train to carry this work forward. It is a source of pride for us and a very valuable experience for the organization, because we continue to fight for our territory and advancing as women.”
▶ Listen to Verónica Mendoza’s remarks (Spanish only): access here:
The multidisciplinary group also visited the Nantaitu Women Artisans Association (AMAN), which produces embroidery featuring nature motifs. The group also visited producers of cosmetics made from copaiba oil-resin (Copaifera spp.), who are affiliated with the Copaibo-Simbao Production Organization. Another visit was made to the Nomesanamanka Meliponiculture Association and the Lomerio Honey Producers Association (APMIL), composed of women and men who produce honey recognized by the Bolivian government as organic and who seek to expand their market. Honey producers face challenges such as the need for product certification and access to marketing channels, while maintaining practices aligned with conservation and climate adaptation.
Caption: Meeting with the Nantaitu Women’s Association in the Lomerio Native Community Land (TCO), Bolivia. Photo: Eduardo Soriano Candia, IBIF driver.
The role of supporting organizations was also emphasized by Pura Suárez, gender coordinator at IBIF: “We work to strengthen the political and organizational empowerment of Chiquitano Indigenous women, as well as their technical capacities for territorial monitoring and oversight. We also promote economic autonomy through agroecological production and the sustainable use of non-timber resources, always based on the needs and vision of the communities themselves.”
Another highlight of the technical visit was the meeting with the Organization of Indigenous Women of Concepción (OMIOCHC) in the municipality of Concepción. The group learned about OMIOCHC, created in 2018 to guarantee an autonomous political space for women and to strengthen interinstitutional networks to confront gender-based violence.
Listen to Pura Suárez’s remarks (Spanish only): access here.
For Ana Luiza Violato Espada, postdoctoral researcher affiliated with TCD and the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences (SFFGS) at UF, “The initiatives of Indigenous women that have emerged in the Chiquitano region of Bolivia show that, beyond environmental and economic concerns, these groups are thinking about and working for human rights, ensuring better and more dignified living conditions for groups that are usually marginalized and vulnerable, such as women. I was impressed by the level of organization of these initiatives and by their involvement in diverse issues, ranging from the environment and economic empowerment to the fight against gender-based violence.” Ana also added: “For me, these groups of women are putting into practice several of the goals of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These women are a powerful example to follow.”
Caption: Organization of Indigenous Women of Concepción receiving representatives from the Bolivian Institute of Forest Research (IBIF), Tropenbos Colombia, and the Tropical Conservation and Development Program at the University of Florida. Photo: Eduardo Soriano Candia, IBIF driver.
In San Javier, the group visited the Paiconeca Indigenous Central of San Javier, where they learned about the initiative of the Organization of Indigenous Women of Paiconeca (OMIP-SJ). Representatives of OMIP-SJ shared how the initiative was structured to integrate Indigenous women into community life plans and to respond to socio-environmental crises such as fires and droughts.
Leaders of the Organization of Indigenous Women of Paiconeca, in San Javier, with representatives from the Bolivian Institute of Forest Research (IBIF), Tropenbos Colombia, and the Tropical Conservation and Development Program at the University of Florida. Photo: Eduardo Soriano Candia, IBIF driver.
For María Clara van der Hammen, project coordinator at Tropenbos Colombia, the experience of the technical visits to southeastern Bolivia brought a clearer vision of the impact of these actions: “It was very moving to see how the women’s groups are empowered and working, despite the difficulties. You can see the training and capacities they have acquired, as well as the strength of the local technical work. I leave with great admiration and with the feeling that we were fortunate to hear their stories and to better understand the reality they face.”
▶️ Listen to María Clara’s remarks (Spanish only): access here.
These experiences highlight the growing role of Indigenous women as protagonists in environmental protection, economic empowerment, and social cohesion across the Pan Amazon. Their actions combine territorial monitoring, natural resource management, community-based women’s entrepreneurship, and the defense of human rights, demonstrating that conservation and collective well-being move forward together when led by those who live in and care for the territory.