In the Bolivian Andes mountain range we are planting 219,000 trees, together with the Samay Foundation and the local population. Thus we repair exhausted grounds, deal with water shortage and improve the living conditions of the people in the region.
trees will be planted
of degraded land will be restored
people who have work and income
water reservoirs are to be built
planting period
People in the Andes mountain range live at altitudes of many thousands of meters, far away from big cities. Even though their social services have improved over the years, they are still very poor. They live from small-scale farming, but this is getting more difficult because of increasing drought and water shortage. Apart from climate change, there are two significant causes:
Many indigenous trees and shrubs that used to grow high up in the mountains, have disappeared because of cattle farming and agriculture. The problem is that, normally, trees absorb water and from the mountains it flows down underground. There it ends up in natural sources or water basins (reservoirs), from which people come to use it.
Without trees and shrubs the soil is less and less able to retain water. On the one hand, this causes water shortage in times of drought. And heavy rainfall, on the other, causes the water to gush down along the slopes rather uselessly. This in turn causes erosion, in which chunks of soil wash away or the grounds burst open.
Many Andes farmers grow mainly potatoes, quinoa, corn and onions as monocultures: the same plot of land bears the same crop year in, year out. Additionally, large quantities of chemicals are used to counter pests and diseases, which exhausts the soil, rendering it drier and less fertile. Growing and harvesting food and making a living from it becomes increasingly difficult.
In short, in order to improve people’s living conditions it is crucial to (re)plant trees!
Together with the Samay Foundation and the local population we will plant the trees from a landscape approach, using two methods:
For one thing we will plant trees on degraded soil in water retention areas. These are sites high up in the mountains where rainwater collects in a natural way. By planting trees in exactly those places, water retention (water storage) improves and availability of water in the region increases. Moreover, the trees prevent erosion. They keep the soil together, as it were and ‘store’ the water falling in a sizable shower, so it will not gush down all at once.
To achieve this, the communities will plant indigenous species of trees which survive well at altitudes of thousands of meters, such as kewiña and kiswara. In addition they will build dozens of water reservoirs. Water from the mountains will flow into these and is stored. People may use this water for their homes and to water trees and crops.
For another thing we support farmers and their families to make the switch to agroforestry. They plant indigenous trees and fruit trees on their land, interspersed with vegetables, fruit and other crops.
The trees and crops stimulate sound, strong and fertile soil, which stores and washes down water better. This way, it is going to be a sustainable alternative for traditional use of land, such as animal husbandry or agriculture.
Besides, the variation in crops makes people considerably less dependent on one type of food. Is one type in difficulty? In that case, there will be plenty of other food to live on or4 to sell in the marketplace. As a result, both their certainty of food and their income will increase.
In order to make this project successful, it is important to get the population on their way properly. After all, they are the ones responsible for plantation and maintenance. That is why our partner Samay organizes various workshops, training sessions and exchange visits for the people who take part in the project. They may also consult the ‘model farm’ in the project region, in which a water retention area, agroforestry lot and water reservoirs have been copied.
The local population will plant the trees on degraded mountain slopes and on fields belonging to village communities. Plantation locations are situated in the regions of La Paz, Cochabamba and Potosí.
Within this project we work together with the Samay Foundation. Since 2002, this Dutch organisation has worked on various project in the Bolivian Andes, aiming at countering poverty and sustainable farming.
Samay works closely together with several smaller organisations in the Andes mountain range which supervise the local population planting trees and everything it involves. This contributes to extra knowhow and motivation to make the plantation successful. Apart from this, Trees for All and Samay are involved in monitoring the project.
