Cooperating to protect the spring "Curichi la madre" and prevent urban areas from flooding

Santa Cruz de la Sierra-Bolivia is one of the fastest growing cities in South America with two million inhabitants. A urban wet forest area with high biodiversity on the banks of the Piraí River (Curichi La Madre), which is one of the 80 best preserved urban wetlands, protects the city from flooding. Meanwhile, the area is at risk from climate change, sinking water levels and the spread of settlements, as well as inadequate management by the authorities. The project implements a pilot project for the renaturation and better management of the protected area with the population and authorities. Different actors like science, youth and student projects work together and qualify people for the practical implementation of protection and renaturation measures. A visitor centre and tourism as well as publicity and awareness-raising measures contribute to this.