The initiatives implemented under “Amazonía sin Fuego”, the programme launched by the Italian Cooperation service to reduce forest fires in the Bolivian Amazon, have been collected in a book: a photo-book containing marvellous shots by RAI journalist Liza Boschin. The volume, which draws its name from the project, was recently presented in La Paz at an event organised by the Bolivian Ministry of the Environment.
The event, attended by top institutional representatives of the Countries and agencies that support the programme, opened with the presentation of the results obtained in the initiative’s first two phases (2012-2016), and continued with the illustration of the strategic lines for the third phase, which will be implemented soon. Ambassador Vigo, while underscoring the importance of the third phase in view of the effective ownership of the aid provided, lauded the efforts made by the different institutions involved and acknowledged the importance of an initiative with a regional scope and vision, which goes beyond political borders and becomes an international point of reference in sustainable development. “Amazonía sin Fuego” (PASF) is one of Italian Cooperation’s best practices in environmental conservation and sustainable rural development and, after the excellent results obtained in Brazil (1999-2009), it was first activated in Bolivia and, in 2016, in Ecuador. The aim of the initiative is to reduce forest fires in the Bolivian Amazon by providing technical training and promoting alternative options to the use of fire in agricultural and production activities. Proof of the institutional consensus around this initiative was the attendance at the event of Bolivian Environment Minister, Alexandra Moreira, of Ambassador Vigo, of the Director of the overseas office of AICS in La Paz, Vincenzo Oddo, of the representatives of the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) and of the Technical Cooperation service of the Brazilian Embassy in Bolivia which, in partnership with Italy, finances the programme.
The event highlighted the importance of the photo-book bearing witness to the relevance of the project, which simultaneously builds on Italy’s efforts on key issues on the development agenda such as the protection of rainforests, the sustainable management of forest resources and the mitigation of climate change.
