Water, community resilience, and safer schools

In Bolivia’s Chiquitano Indigenous Territory, children and youths are playing an increasing active role in making their schools and communities safer, greener, and better prepared for disasters. As the winner of our RISK Award 2025, ChildFund Bolivia — together with the local partners We Effect and APCOB — is implementing a community-driven initiative that empowers indigenous students to become agents of change for climate resilience and disaster preparedness.

Located in the municipality of Concepción in Santa Cruz Province, the project responds to the increasing impacts of wildfires, droughts, and water scarcity in the Amazon lowlands. Several months into implementation, the initiative has already achieved important results: strengthening safe learning environments, expanding disaster preparedness, and supporting youth-led action to protect local ecosystems.

Important progress has been made in transforming schools into safer and more resilient space for Chiquitano children facing recurring emergencies.

Two photovoltaic systems were installed and are now fully operational, providing renewable energy to 66 households and two schools. Community members actively contributed to the installation by digging trenches, preparing sites, and building protective infrastructure – strengthening local ownership of the system.

Access to safe water and sanitation has also improved. Community Drinking Water and Sanitation Committees (CPyS) were established and equipped with tools to manage local water services. The community water treatment plant was refurbished and connected to rainwater harvesting systems, while sanitation facilities in the schools of Monte Verde and Río Blanco were upgraded, improving WASH services for 73 students.

Training sessions on hygiene and water management complemented these improvements and promoted healthier everyday practices among students.

Disaster preparedness has also advanced significantly across the project area:

School and Community Emergency Preparedness Plans (SEPPs) were operationalized in eight communities through simulation drills, allowing students, teachers, and community members to practice response roles and coordination mechanisms, particularly in relation to wildfire risks.

Schools received emergency kits containing megaphones, flashlights, protective masks, and identification vests. During a joint workshop with students and teachers from eight communities, participants learned how to use the equipment and replicate emergency drills within their schools.

Environmental learning has expanded through the Educational Forest initiative. Three schools, together with community authorities, established protected learning areas through community clean-ups, biodiversity mapping of native plant species, and the design of educational trails, supported by forestry specialists and a biologist from APCOB.

Local monitoring capacities were further strengthened through the project’s partnership with the Municipal Government of Concepción. While the project provided one drone, the municipality co-financed a second device. Both are now integrated into the local heat monitoring system. With additional training on drone operation and its integration into the Early Warning System, municipal technicians improved their capacity  to monitor forest and respond more rapidly to wildfire risk. 

Youth leadership has gained strong momentum during the reporting period. Through the youth group JUMA, environmental awareness activities combined cultural expression, technical learning, and advocacy. 

Their theatre performance “Guardians of the Forest” was presented in Monte Verde, Palmarito de la Frontera, and Conepción, reaching more than 300 students and community members. Through storytelling and interactive activities, the performance raised awareness about biodiversity loss and deforestation while encouraging collective action to protect local ecosystems.

At the same time, JUMA members strengthened their capacities through the training program “Youth Leadership with Technology for Climate Justice and Environmental Advocacy.” Participants gained  knowledge on Indigenous rights, climate change, and project design, enabling them to develop their own climate action proposal.

This resulted in two youth-led advocacy campaigns. The “Ojos Vivos” campaign mobilized young people to restore the El Baleneraio Lagoon through a clean-up and revitalization activities, including waste collection, vegetation clearing, and the restoration of community signage. In parallel, the “Chiquitania Resiliente” campaign brought together 72 participants – including youth, students, and municipal actors – for a restoration activity in Concepción supported by the municipal government.

In the coming months, the project will focus on consolidating and expanding progress across the eight communities of the Monte Verde Indigenous Territory.

Emergency preparedness will be further strengthened through additional simulation exercises  and by training teachers as school environmental monitors linked to the local Ealy Warning system. The Educational Forest component will be completed through the installation of educational signage, the creation of learning areas, and participatory workshops on conservation and reforestation.