BOLIVIA

Bolivia is a landlocked country that lies in the heart of South America and shares borders with 5 countries (Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Peru).

It covers a diverse range of geographic regions, from the high plateaus and Andes mountain range in the west, to lowland tropics in the east, Amazon lowlands to the north and dry Chaco to the south east. This means it is extremely bio diverse, with several unique national parks, rich in flora and fauna, as well as sites of great archaeological and geological interest.

Culturally, Bolivia is also very diverse. Although most of the population is “mestizo”, of mixed descent, there are 36 different indigenous groups, the largest being Quechua, Aymara and Guarani. The main language is Spanish and the population is some 12 million people.

Bolivia is a beautiful country, but many people still live in poverty or are vulnerable in different ways. With some 70% of the Bolivian population now being urban, migration continues to the main cities in search of better opportunities. In the cities this phenomenon exacerbates suburban poverty, while in rural areas many basic needs persist and there is increasing pressure on certain areas, especially fragile ecosystems and protected areas.

So, the challenge is: how to improve the quality of life of underprivileged Bolivians and contribute to a truly sustainable development process, considering the social, economic, environmental, institutional, technical and technological aspects, in a context of globalization.