Macharetí Strengthens Protected-Area Management With New Plans

Macharetí has approved two management instruments intended to guide the conservation of its protected territories through 2030. The municipal council sanctioned the measures on August 27, 2026, as part of efforts to protect water sources, forests, biodiversity and historic sites in Chuquisaca.

One law approves the 2026-2030 management plan for the Héroes del Chaco Historical and Wildlife Municipal Reserve. The other puts into effect an initial management plan for the Ivi Maraei Integrated Natural Management Area and links it to its own 2026-2030 plan.

The process received technical support from Fundación Natura Bolivia and involved communities, Indigenous leaders, peasant organizations, local authorities and municipal technicians. Ivi Maraei covers approximately 91,700 hectares of Bolivian-Tucuman and Chaco forests. Its headwaters, springs and other water sources help supply about 12 communities and the municipality itself.

The Ivi Maraei plan prioritizes the conservation and restoration of water sources, forest and biodiversity protection, stronger institutions and community participation. It also proposes sustainable economic activities and measures to improve resilience to climate change. The spectacled bear and Andean condor are among its conservation targets.

The Héroes del Chaco reserve covers about 268,913 hectares. It combines protection of the dry Chaco forest with the preservation of historic sites linked to the Chaco War. Its plan seeks to balance natural, historic and cultural conservation with the needs and activities of local communities. The jaguar and Chacoan peccary are among its conservation targets. “The approval, through law, of the management plans demonstrates Macharetí’s commitment to its protected areas,” said Lilian Apaza, coordinator of protected-area conservation planning at Fundación Natura Bolivia.

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The approval, through law, of the management plans demonstrates Macharetí’s commitment to its protected areas.