How the people of San José de Chiquitos took action to protect their land
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One evening in Roboré, Zoila Zeballos stood on the edge of the forest, watching flames rise in the distance. The fire, intentionally set to clear land for agriculture, devoured the trees.
Zoila felt a deep sadness, but also determination. She had always loved nature and fought to protect it, but her activism had made her a target. She faced legal threats, political pressure, and even personal attacks for standing up against environmental destruction. Eventually, the pressure became unbearable. She was forced to leave her home, work and business in Roboré and return to her home village of Quituquiña. She did not give up, but found a new way to continue her mission.
Zoila joined the Community Monitors Program for Environmental Justice, supported by the Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA) programme. There, she gained new knowledge about environmental laws, advocacy, and community rights. With these tools, she realized that real change could happen, not by fighting alone, but by working together as a community.
The Challenge: Threats to Nature and Livelihoods
For the Indigenous community of Quituquiña, nature is more than just land, it is their home, their history, and their future. But without legal protection, their forests, animals (like jaguars, maned wolves, giant armadillos urine, piyo, tatu, bees, parrot, macaw), water sources, and medicinal plants are at risk. Deforestation and land-use changes threatens their environment, endangers their traditional way of life and economic opportunities. Without action, they risk losing the resources that have provided them for generations.
Taking Action: A Community Stands Up
Zoila was not alone in her concern. The people of Quituquiña knew that if they didn’t protect their land, no one else would. They decided to act.
Through community meetings, workshops, and negotiations with local authorities, they came up with a bold plan: to officially declare part of their land a ‘Municipal Protected Area and Ecopedagogical Forest’. This would ensure the long-term protection of 717 hectares (aprox. 1,000 football fields) of forests, water sources, and medicinal plants, while also creating new opportunities for eco-tourism, handicraft production, and environmental education.
In December 19, 2024, after months of hard work and advocacy, the Municipal Council approved Law 211, officially establishing the Los Piyos Municipal Protected Area and Ecopedagogical Forest.
Results so far:
How VCA Helped Make This Possible
While the leadership and determination of the community were the driving forces behind this success, VCA and the Bolivian Society for Environmental Law (SBDA) played a key role in supporting the process. Their contributions included:
An inspiration for other communities
Now, the people of Quituquiña not only have a protected area but also a blueprint for other communities facing similar challenges. Their story shows that with the right support and strong community leadership, anything is possible.
The Climate Crisis that we are facing has no frontiers. We believe it is only possible to foster a just transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient futures with a new level of civil society leadership. This is what Voices for Just Climate Action stand for.
