Bolivia Protects Key Corridor Linking Dry Forests and Wetlands
Serranía de Sunsas becomes a crucial protected area for birds and freshwater
Nestled between the Gran Chaco and Chiquitano dry forests and the Pantanal lowlands in southeastern Bolivia, the Serranía de Sunsas is a chain of rugged mountains shaped by one of South America’s oldest geological formations, known as the Precambrian Brazilian Shield. Its rocky outcroppings and varied terrain create a diverse landscape at the intersection of multiple ecoregions, supporting high biodiversity. The range plays a key ecological role by capturing and regulating water flows into the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland.
Now, the Bolivian municipality of San Matías has officially designated the Serranía de Sunsas as a wildlife reserve, safeguarding over 213,700 acres—an area larger than New York City—while strengthening ecological connectivity and highlighting community-led conservation initiatives.
Sunsas notably allows wildlife to move between ecosystems, maintaining genetic diversity and protecting crucial water sources that communities rely on. For local residents, the forest is more than just a conservation asset; it’s a central part of everyday life: It regulates the water cycles that provide their drinking water and supports sustainable forest uses that generate income and provide key materials while strengthening resilience to climate threats, including wildfires.
The region is also a stronghold for birds, including the king vulture—a scavenger with creamy white plumage and a strikingly colorful head in shades of orange, yellow, and red—and the yellow-collared macaw, a small, highly social parrot with vivid green plumage and a distinctive bright yellow collar. It also hosts the vulnerable bare-faced curassow, an elegant bird whose presence is a strong indicator of healthy ecosystems. In eastern Bolivia’s Chiquitano dry forest ecoregion alone, scientists have documented 547 bird species—37% of the country’s avian population. And recent studies in Sunsas have recorded 176 species.
The area has long been considered a conservation priority in Bolivia, as it is one of the country’s most important hot spots for water resources and biodiversity, including many species found nowhere else in the world. It also plays a vital role in connecting protected areas with local communities, particularly at a time when climate pressures—such as prolonged droughts and increasingly severe wildfires—are becoming more intense.
The Sunsas reserve now links a growing network of national, departmental, and municipal protected areas, including San Matías Integrated Management Natural Area, the Tucabaca departmental and municipal protected area, Paquio municipal protected area, San Rafael Municipal Reserve, the Ñembi Guasu Conservation Area of Ecological Importance, and Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park. Together, these areas form a conservation landscape spanning more than 20 million acres—roughly twice the size of Costa Rica.
Freddy Román, head of the Municipal Council of San Matías, emphasized the municipality’s commitment to standing alongside local communities in recognizing the intrinsic value of Sunsas—its ecosystems, water sources, and cultural heritage. Speaking during the public event where the council shared the law creating the new protected area, Román underscored the shared responsibility to safeguard this landscape for both current residents and future generations.
Local leadership drives conservation
Collaboration among Indigenous communities, municipal authorities, and conservation partners was instrumental in establishing the reserve. As part of this effort, a local steering committee—representing five communities within the Pantanal Indigenous Territory—helped define governance, ensuring that protection aligns with community rights and cultural heritage.
“The new protected area gives us greater opportunities to tackle drinking water challenges,” said José Antonio Tomichá, a teacher and community leader in Bahía Negra, which is part of the Pantanal Indigenous Territory in Bolivia. “During droughts, we dig wells, or pauros, to access water, and we often have to drink it even when it’s dirty”.
While Sunsas has faced pressures from intensifying agriculture, mining, and cattle ranching, as well as an increasing number of fire incidents, the protected status provides a framework for proactive management, coordinated monitoring, fire prevention, and scientific research in an area previously lacking comprehensive ecological data. In addition, Sunsas can serve as a model for other local-level conservation initiatives.
Conserva Aves: Supporting local leadership
Efforts to establish this protected area were supported by the Conserva Aves initiative, led by the American Bird Conservancy, the National Audubon Society, BirdLife International, Birds Canada, and RedLAC, with support from the Bezos Earth Fund. The initiative advances the creation of subnational protected areas tailored to meet local needs. In Bolivia, implementation is being led by FUNDESNAP and the Armonía Civil Association, with technical support from Fundación CERAI, scientific input from the Noel Kempff Mercado Natural History Museum, and additional support from The Pew Charitable Trusts.
Local actions with global significance
Sunsas stands as a symbol of how local governance and multistakeholder collaboration can achieve globally relevant conservation goals. In its 2010 report “Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation in Bolivia,” the Bolivian government identified Sunsas as a crucial area for conserving biodiversity, and in late 2025, that priority became a reality in the form of concrete legal protections for this new municipal protected area.
The focus now shifts to ensuring that the reserve will deliver sustained conservation and tangible results for biodiversity, communities, and climate resilience. The Municipality of San Matías, with support from Fundación CERAI, is now taking the first steps toward launching its initial management plan, including hiring staff to protect this major biodiversity hot spot, which plays a pivotal role in regional ecological stability.
Natalia Araujo manages work in Bolivia for The Pew Charitable Trusts’ conserving the Pantanal and Gran Chaco project.
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