Motacusito women: Standing up for nature conservation and future generations
In the heart of Puerto Suárez, a small town in Bolivia, Motacusito emerges as a beacon of nature conservation and female empowerment. Four women—Quidian Roman, Ana Maria Tomichá, Marisol Román Méndez, and Dayana Espinoza—initiated a silent revolution in 2019 to secure the official recognition and protection of the Motacusito area. Their vision encompasses water source preservation, ecotourism promotion, and education, with collaboration from organizations like WWF-Bolivia and the Bolivian Society for Environmental Law (SBDA), part of the network of local and global Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA).
Puerto Suárez is part of the Pantanal region , a vast tropical wetland, known for its unique biodiversity and importance for main ecological processes, such as fresh water supply for more than 1.2 million people living across Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil.
The Pantanal is being threatened by large-scale therefore, it is fundamental to protect areas that are of importance for the provision of water or the connectivity in the landscape. Protecting the springs of the Pantanal, such as the ones in Motacusito, is a high priority for local communities and organizations to enhance the climate resilience of people and nature, not only in this area, but for the whole the region.
Motacusito was traditionally dedicated to agriculture and livestock before these women rewrote the narrative. Training from organizations that are part of VCA highlighted the value of their natural resources and the potential for sustainable tourism.
Motacusito succeeded in establishing a protected area covering 881 hectares, approximately one-tenth the size of the Dutch city of Utrecht. This seemingly small achievement holds monumental significance, focusing on safeguarding vital water sources, preventing resource depletion, and protecting local wildlife.
There were challenges in community awareness, but the women's determination and organization intervention overcame resistance. The pandemic briefly halted their efforts, but they persevered, establishing a tourism brand locally and internationally.
“Within this area, there is a cave, where there is water that drains and reaches the Cáceres Lagoon. This was a crucial factor that the municipality recognized as important, which contributed to our area being finally declared as protected. Of course, it was also essential to communicate and inform the community about the importance of conservation. Understanding its importance, the community became more willing to support our efforts to protect the area." - Quidian Román, Vice-president of the community
The dream of the community members of Motacusito's, of becoming a protected area was supported by technical studies, community involvement, and the partnership of organizations like WWF-Bolivia, SBDA and the Autonomous Municipal Government of Puerto Suárez. These organizations supported these women to design a legislative framework for the protection of the area. The declaration that followed is a result of the hard work of these women in protecting the area. It not only secures important resources such as water but also highlights the community's pivotal role in environmental protection.
The declaration marks a promising beginning. Motacusito envisions increased public awareness, ecosystem safeguarding, and shared management of revenues with the municipality. Their vision of sustainable tourism is a call to action. These local women prove that community power and female leadership can drive change. By combining education, awareness, and collaboration, they preserve a natural treasure while promoting sustainability. In conclusion, embracing systemic change through pioneering sustainable tourism in harmony with nature offers a win-win scenario for all.