Indigenous voices to lead Bolivia’s disaster preparations

Thousands of Indigenous people in Bolivia will integrate their traditional knowledge into formal disaster risk management plans in the face of increasing climate threats.

In Bolivia, 36 Indigenous nations are recognised, constituting just under half the population.

Despite their significant presence, they have often been overlooked in policy-making, particularly in the management of climate-related disasters.

Practical Action staff will work with partners to create a glossary of essential terms for risk management and preparedness in Indigenous languages, ensuring that risk information is clear and accessible.

Around 20,000 indigenous people are expected to benefit from this new initiative. By incorporating Indigenous knowledge and language, the project aims to improve communication, decision-making, and access to Early Warning Systems. This will ensure that risk information is understandable and useful for Indigenous communities, especially during crises.

Leon Lizon, Practical Action project manager for the new work, said,

“Although Indigenous knowledge and practices against climate threats are beginning to be recognised, their traditional knowledge is frequently marginalised.

“Better integration into formal and decision-making structures is necessary to revalue this knowledge and achieve more resilient Indigenous people.

“We are looking for more appropriate and inclusive alert systems that can adapt and function in native languages.”

This new project is expected to empower Tacana and Aymara communities in the Amazon and highlands respectively with better tools and information to navigate climate-induced hazards, thereby enhancing their resilience.

The initiative is also expected to benefit these Indigenous communities and serve as a model for other regions. It will contribute to national disaster risk reduction knowledge, helping to save lives and protect livelihoods.

Over the next year the initiative will aim to:

• Integrate Indigenous knowledge into data and information that informs decisions, including initiatives like the World Risk Poll, to ensure that everyone is protected.
• Preserve, value, and incorporate this essential knowledge into formal plans and procedures to support comprehensive and sustainable disaster risk management.
• Improve the provision of information through preferred channels and ensure that the information is presented in a manner that is easily understandable and actionable.
• Build the communication network to enable knowledge and information to flow more equitably between stakeholders. This will increase Indigenous’ understanding of risks and early warning systems, as their role in shaping policy, decision- making, planning and risk management.
• Support these communities to actively participate in crucial decision-making processes for the development of effective and culturally sensitive risk reduction plans.

The nearly £250,000 Indigenous inclusion for informed disaster risk reduction decision-making in Bolivia project is funded by Lloyd’s Register Foundation as part of its World Risk Poll into Action programme, and implemented by Practical Action, CLEAR Global and The University of Edinburgh.