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Oxfam Case Study: Building camellones in Bolivia
How climate change affects Bolivia
Bolivia is particularly at risk from climate change. Poorer people are most affected by it and
Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in Latin America. Bolivia is also one of the most
biodiverse countries in the world, with many ecosystems that are vulnerable to the impacts of
climate change. More than half the country is covered by the Amazon rainforest, where high
levels of deforestation have increased the risk of flooding.
In recent years, Bolivia is one of the countries that have been most affected by more frequent
and intense natural disasters. Poor communities throughout Bolivia are already experiencing
the consequences of climate change: less food security; retreating glaciers affecting water
supply; an increase in mosquito-borne diseases; and more forest fires.
Oxfam in Bolivia
Beni is a region in the northeast of Bolivia. It is mostly flat and criss-crossed with many rivers,
all of which are tributaries of the Amazon. There are also numerous lakes and lagoons. To
help vulnerable communities cope with the changing climate, Oxfam and its partner
organisations in Bolivia supported a project here to build a system of small man-made hills
called camellones. This ancient farming technique was first used before the Incas, over 3,000
years ago, when over 20,000 camellones were built in Beni.
Loma Suarez near Trinidad
adopted the ancient
camellones system to
combat the problem caused
by the annual floods in the
area.
© Credit: Mark Chilvers
The camellones system works by raising fields above flood level and surrounding them with
channels of water. This protects seeds and crops from being completely washed away during
the rainy season. Also, the channels fill with water that can be used to irrigate the land during
the dry season, meaning that food can easily be grown all year round. Furthermore the
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farming methods used in the camellones provide precious nutrients to the soil, meaning less
deforestation is needed to clear fresh land for crops.
Oxfam also worked with a local partner organisation to build ‘safe homes’ in some of these
remote communities. These houses were made from locally sourced materials, and were built
on stilts above flood levels to ensure that homes and families were protected from any future
flooding.
Dora’s story
Dora is a single mother of five children. They live in Trinidad, the capital of Beni, in the
northeast of Bolivia. Cities such as Trinidad are feeling the full force of climate change.
Successive droughts and flooding have destroyed many crops, animals and homes in her
area. When a flood hits, families lose everything.
Dora said: ‘When it rains here the water comes into my house through the roof. I try to stop it
but it doesn’t work. The house is flooded and the water reaches up to the bed. When the water
stays in the house I have to stay with the children. When it rains and floods in Trinidad there
isn’t any work; everything is suspended, and everything stops.’
Involvement in the camellones project offered new hope to Dora and others in her community.
‘When I became involved in the camellones I made myself a promise that I had to get
something for my family, for my daughters. My dream is to have a beautiful home without
damp. My dream is to get something out of this for my daughters.’
Rosario’s story
Rosario works on the land
in her community
© Credit: Mark
Bushnell/Oxfam
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Rosario lives with her family in the community of Santa Rosa, in the extreme northeast of
Bolivia. The Amazon is their home. Previously, many trees were cut down for wood or to open
up land for farming. The community is now reforesting native trees and making use of the
wood and fruits in a sustainable way.
However, the climate has changed. Extreme and uncontrolled floods have hit the area with
devastating results. Rosario and her community talk frequently about climate change, how it is
affecting them and what can be done.
Rosario said: ‘In the past it was cooler during the day... but now there is more extreme heat
and the sun is burning more strongly. For everyone it is a challenge to find the right way of
cropping because the weather has changed so much. We see that the main issue is
deforestation – this is affecting us all and is impacting on the climate. We are reforesting the
land that was destroyed in the past, and we are trying to plant different species and create a
balance to ensure we are not contributing to climate change.’
Rosario’s community is standing up and doing their part but they also believe that everybody
should be getting involved in this issue – especially governments. ‘We expect everybody,
especially governments, to discuss it a lot at summits and events, but at the moment we don’t
see enough results. This is what is worrying.’
Glossary
Biodiverse
Having a high level of biodiversity (the variety of plant and animal life).
Deforestation
The clearing of trees, for example by cutting or burning.
Camellones
An ancient agricultural technique that uses a system of small mounds
and water channels to both irrigate and protect crops from flooding.
Irrigate
To supply water to land or crops to help growth.
Reforesting
Planting trees in places where they were previously cut down.
Tributary
A stream or river that flows into a bigger river.
Bolivia country information
GDP per person: $3,124
Total CO2 emissions: 18,000,000 tonnes
Population: 10,562,000
CO2 emissions per person: 1.7 tonnes
Data sources:
World Bank Data (2014): data.worldbank.org/
Global Carbon Atlas (2014): www.globalcarbonatlas.org/
Links: Find out more details about Oxfam’s work in Bolivia here.
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