Bolivian Workshop on Wildlife Crossings

From 22 to 24 February, 2022, researchers, transportation and infrastructure professionals, conservationists, and other stakeholders gathered virtually to learn about best practices for designing and implementing wildlife crossings in Bolivia. Over 500 Bolivians registered for the workshop, and approximately 250 attended, with an average of 150 participants on each day.

This Spanish-speaking workshop was hosted by a suite of partners including NGOs, academia, and government, in association with the Latin American and Caribbean Transport Working Group of the World Commission on Protected Areas and its Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group. Funding for the workshop came from the National Geographic Society.

The workshop’s objective was to highlight the strategies and measures used to avoid or mitigate the impacts of road development on wildlife in this highly biodiverse country.

Presentations were made by Bolivian representatives in addition to international experts. Participants learned about the most relevant legal and regulatory elements for the protection of biodiversity in Bolivia, the history of the development of the discipline of road ecology in different parts of the world, and its status in Bolivia. Presentations and case studies underscored the diversity of science, policy, and financial tools available to effectively build wildlife crossings.