Drought and water scarcity have become recurring problems in
Bolivia over the past decade, but the situation has been particularly alarming
since 2015.
Due to its geography and terrain, the impacts of climate
change in Bolivia are manifesting in the form of hotter and more frequent dry
periods, rainy seasons that are shorter but more intense, and an increase in
the occurrence of hailstorms and freezes. Degradation of natural resources
exacerbates the impacts these climate-related changes are having.
According to FAO, to cope with the impacts of climate
changes on agriculture and food security countries must make organizational and
technological changes to water management that correspond to the needs of small
farmers. Restoring local water cycles is particularly important area for action
that is essential to ensuring that communities have access to adequate water
resources.
The Green Climate fund is an international funding mechanism
established at the 2010 UN Climate Conference that aims to support developing
country efforts to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Countries can receive stand-alone grants for simpler
projects like well or cistern construction, or loans for more complex projects
like the large-scale irrigation systems, either directly from the fund or via
accredited implementing agencies, such as FAO.
In the case of the Bolivia proposal, the funding would be
challenged directly to that country’s national “Mi Riego” (My Irrigation)
program.
The proposal is being developed by a working group comprised
of FAO experts and officials from Bolivia’s Ministers for Development Planning
and Environment and Water. The group was convened following President Morales
request for FAO assistance made at the recently held summit of the Community of
Latin American and Caribbean States.
One of FAO’s key roles is to assist countries in their
efforts to respond to climate change by providing technical assistance,
information and data, and other tools to strengthen their adaptive capacities.
For many countries, acquiring the capacity to access and use
international financing mechanism represents a critical first step towards
greater resilience to climate change.
Courtesy: FAO