January 26, 2026
LA PAZ, BOLIVIA — January 26, 2026 — In a surge of local leadership, municipal governments across Bolivia have created four new protected areas spanning 907,244 hectares (2.2 million acres) — an area roughly the size of Yellowstone National Park that dramatically expands conservation of some of the country’s most critical ecosystems.
“These four municipalities have stitched together a vast ‘conservation mosaic,’ stretching from the cloud forests of the Andes to the Amazon’s lowlands,” said Eduardo Forno, vice president of Conservation International-Bolivia. “In many cases, the municipalities have now protected more than half their territories, a remarkable commitment that shows how local leadership can deliver durable conservation that strengthens communities and outlasts political cycles.”
Designated between November 2025 and January 2026, the four new protected areas are designed to connect with Indigenous territories and national parks. They form continuous conservation corridors that allow wildlife to migrate and are far more effective than isolated protected areas at sustaining biodiversity.
These community-led designations — supported by Conservation International-Bolivia and local partners — emerged out of necessity. As Bolivia faces some of the highest per-capita deforestation rates in the world, municipal governments, Indigenous peoples and rural communities are creating a new path for conservation grounded in local priorities.
Highlights from Bolivia’s four new protected areas:
Gran Paitití Municipal Park and Integrated Natural Management Area
This 83,825-hectare (207,136-acre) protected area serves as a migration corridor for wildlife moving between the Amazon lowlands and the Andes highlands. It contributes to a much larger wildlife migration corridor between iconic Bolivian national parks such as Madidi and Cotapata. The area’s cloud-covered peaks and steep valleys supply fresh water to local communities, but its gold-rich soil has made it vulnerable to mining. With this designation, the municipality of Mapiri now has 56% of its territory under conservation.
Key species: Three critically endangered endemic frogs (Telmatobius verrucosus, Telmatobius bolivianus, and Allobates mcdiarmidi) as well as two endangered glass frogs (Nymphargus bejaranoi and Nymphargus pluvialis).
Los Palmares de Villa Nueva Integrated Natural Management Area
This 191,310-hectare (472,737-acre) protected area in northern Bolivia conserves intact Amazonian forests that sustain the region’s Brazil nut economy, the primary source of income for local families — providing up to 91% of household earnings. Protecting the forest creates opportunities for other products such as açaí and cacao.With this designation, the municipality of Villa Nueva now has 68% of its territory under conservation.
Key species: the endangered giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) and the endangered spider monkey (Ateles chamek).
Guardián Amazónico Pacahuara Integrated Natural Management Area
Honoring the Pacahuara people’s sacred ties to the Amazon, this 544,103-hectare (1.3 million-acre) protected area consists of mostly untouched forest and wide river plains, which support well-connected ecosystems. The designation protects critical water sources and forest livelihoods such as Brazil nut harvesting. With this designation, the municipality of Santos Mercado now has 82% of its territory under conservation.
Key species: the endangered Amazon river dolphin (Inia boliviensis), the vulnerable Harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja), tapir (Tapirus terrestris), giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) and giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus).
Serranías y Cuencas de Palos Blancos Municipal Park and Integrated Natural Management Area
This 88,006-hectare (217,467-acre) protected area connects directly with the Mosetén Indigenous territory. Its mountain ranges and deep valleys capture and release rainfall, feeding rivers like the Alto Beni and providing fresh water for 73 communities. The area supports a local agro-forestry economy based on cacao, coffee, citrus and plantain production. With this designation, the municipality of Palos Blancos now has 26% of its territory under conservation.
Key species: the locally critically endangered snake (Atractus emmeli) and the endangered harlequin frog (Atelopus tricolor).
Local leadership at the center of conservation
Across all four municipalities, community assemblies, Indigenous leaders and local producers shaped the creation of the new protected areas.
“The establishment of the protected area was a collective process built with the participation of men, women and youth,” said Mirtha Vaca, a Villa Nueva council member. “Every step was designed to leave something that benefits our communities and guarantees a better future.”
Local leaders said the designations affirm a commitment to protecting forests and freshwater sources for the long term.
“The area was created to conserve the water from our four rivers, so that our children can enjoy what we have today,” said Ericka Cortez, president of the Santos Mercado Municipal Council. “The past was deforestation; the present is conservation.”
Conservation International-Bolivia guided the consultation processes, prepared the technical and legal documentation, and coordinated local participation that made the new protected areas possible.
The protected areas in Santos Mercado and Villa Nueva were established thanks to the Bosques para Siempre project, implemented by Conservación Amazónica–ACEAA, together with Conservation International-Bolivia, with funding from Rainforest Trust, the Andes Amazon Fund, the Swedish Embassy and the European Union. The protected areas in Mapiri and Palos Blancos were established with the support of Conservation International-Bolivia, in partnership with the Red TUSOCO. Both areas also received funding from Rainforest Trust and the Andes Amazon Fund.
Prior to the four new protected areas, Conservation International-Bolivia had supported the protection of more than 6.4 million hectares (15.8 million acres) across the country since 1997 — including the Madidi National Park, one of the most biodiverse protected areas on Earth.
“Our work with municipalities reflects decades of long-term strategy,” Forno added. “Today, that legacy continues as local leaders create new protected areas.”
Read more on Bolivia’s protected areas in Conservation International’s blog:
- In Bolivia, a 'conservation mosaic' gets another (big) piece
- How one South American country became a lab for conservation
- In Amazon, small towns are a force of nature
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About Conservation International: Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, for biodiversity and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples and local communities to help people and nature thrive together. Go to Conservation.org for more, and follow our work on Conservation News, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.