Covering an area of 500,889 acres (202,499.78 hectares), the Lagos de San Pedro municipal conservation area is a milestone for the conservation of biodiversity in the province of Manuripi in Bolivia’s Pando department. Established October 10th, 2024, the conservation area encompasses over 75% of the municipality of San Pedro’s territory, solidifying itself as a refuge for vital ecosystems in the region and protecting Amazonian wildlife. At the same time, it is an important area for the livelihoods of local communities.
A Mosaic of Biodiversity and Water Resources
Various Indigenous and rural communities call the conservation area home and have been key to its establishment including the La Candelaria, La Nueva, Guayabochal, Santa Ana, and El Carmen Indigenous communities and the Cayusal, El Pallar, Loma Velarde rural communities. The communities actively participated in the consultation and outreach process led by the Municipal Government of San Pedro and its authorities, with the support of Conservación Amazónica – ACEAA, in a collaborative process for the establishment of the area that spanned over a year.


These communities contribute to the integrity of local culture and directly depend on the sustainable use of water and non-timber forest resources provided by the conservation area for their livelihoods. As a result, they embraced the establishment of this conservation area that contributes towards a prosperous future for the region, based on the protection of biodiversity and environmental services.
Livelihoods revolving around the forest and rivers
The creation of this area is based on a participatory model of conservation, where maintaining continuous forest is in the long term economic interests of the communities that depend on it.
Lagos de San Pedro hosts a wealth of non-timber forest products, such as Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa) and various palm species like royal palm (Mauritia flexuosa), moriche or aguaje (Mauritia flexuosa), and majo or seje (Oenocarpus bataua), asaí (Euterpe precatoria), and wild cacao (Theobroma sp.), which are pillars of the local economy. Furthermore, some agroforestry systems are being implemented to cultivate species like copoazú (Theobroma grandiflorum), banana, and citrus, strengthening the communities’ resilience to climate change and promoting food security.


The conservation area protects ecosystems home to a large diversity of Amazonian fish species, ensuring healthy fishery populations. In the conservation area traditional fishing and hunting practices for subsistence are an important source of food. Small-scale sustainable fishing in the lakes and rivers of the region is a vital part of people’s lives. Some of the Amazonian fish species fisherfolk in the Lagos de San Pedro municipal conservation area catch are: armored catfish (Pterygoplichthys litturatus), spotted piranha (Serrasalmus marginatus), spotted sorubim (Pseudoplatystoma corruscans), and guilded catfish (Zungaro zungaro).

Towards a Sustainable Future
Among other objectives, the area’s management goals are to strengthen decision-making by the local population through monitoring and surveillance of the conservation area against threats and to promote scientific research and environmental education with the local communities. These activities aim to contribute to the conservation of the area’s water resources which are tied to the Madre de Dios and Orthon rivers.
Lagos de San Pedro represents a natural refuge for biodiversity and a municipal conservation area that benefits both nature and local communities. Through the integrated management of natural resources and the protection of ecosystems, a fundamental balance can be ensured, allowing future generations to enjoy this invaluable natural heritage.

Acknowledgements:
The establishment of the Lagos de San Pedro municipal conservation area was made possible by the San Pedro Municipal Government and local communities. Technical support for the establishment was provided by Conservación Amazónica – ACEAA, with the financial support of the Andes Amazon Fund.
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