Madidi
Encyclopedia
Madidi is a national park in the upper Amazon river basin
in Bolivia
. Established in 1995, it has an area of 18,958 square kilometres, and along with nearby protected (though not necessarily contiguous) areas Manuripi-Heath, Apolobamba
, and (across the border in Peru) the Manu Biosphere Reserve
. Madidi is part of one of the largest protected areas in the world.
Ranging from the glacier-covered peaks of the high Andes Mountains to the tropical rainforests of the Tuichi River
, Madidi and its neighbors are recognized as one of the planet's most biologically diverse regions. In particular, Madidi protects parts of the Bolivian Yungas
and Bolivian montande dry forests ecoregions.
The Madidi National Park can be reached from Rurrenabaque
if you cross the Beni River
with the small passenger ferry over to San Buenaventura.
The local people who have migrated here from the Andean highlands speak the Quechua language. The cultures who find their origin here are the Tacana
, the Mosete, the Tsimane and the Ese Ejja, all of which have their own language which pertains to one language group.
Some eco-lodges are found in and around the Madidi National Park. The oldest and best known is Chalalan
Ecolodge in Chalalán on the Tuichi River
, a successful community-based enterprise that generates significant economic benefits to indigenous communities (Malky et al., 2007). Another important site is the Serere Sanctuary operated by Madidi Travel; a 4000 hectare private reserve dedicated to generating income through tourism for on-going conservation work to establish new legally protected zones in the north of the Madidi Mosaic. Others include San Miguel del Bala Eco-Lodge on the banks of the Beni River
reached by boat 40 minutes up stream from Rurrenabaque
, and the young Entno Ecolodge - Mashaquipe on the Tuichi River
close to the outlet into the Beni River
.
, Iturralde
and Abel Bautista Saavedra
. The municipalities involved are Apolo
, San Buenaventura
, Ixiamas, Curva and Pelechuco.
Adjacent to the west, with the Tambopata-Candamo
Reserve and Bahuaja-Sonene National Park
in Peru, on the east by the TCO (Tierra Comunitaria de Origen / Indigenous community land) Tacana I, on the north by TCO Tacana II and south adjacent to the Integrated Management Natural Area National Apolobamba
, TCO Lecos Apolo
, TCO Lecos Larecaja and Biosphere Reserve and Indigenous Territory Pilón Lajas.
The PN and IMNA Madidi is one of the largest protected areas in Bolivia, with a total land area, according to the Supreme Decree building 18957.5 square kilometres, of which 12,715 km² come under the heading of National Park and 6,242.5 km² are categorized under the Integrated Management Natural Area.
Its boundaries are between 12° 30' and 14° 44' southern latitude and between 67° 30' and 69° 51' western longitude.
The area under conservation covers an altitudinal gradient ranging from 180 to 5,760 meters above sea level and has a variety of ecosystems.
The winds come predominantly from the north and south of cold fronts have little impact on the temperature of the region's Madidi. The dry season coincides with the austral winter. The average annual temperature is 26 C degrees , but much depends on the altitude. Isotemas
According to data from Assane (2002), in the region of Apollo is the annual rainfall of 716 mm and October to March with the greatest precipitation, the dry season covered the months from May to September.Isoyetas
. Madidi Travel currently operates the Serere Sanctuary, a four thousand hectare private reserve, located three hours from Rurrenabaque by boat.
, wildlife biologist, is credited for discovering in Madidi an unidentified titi monkey who only lives in Madidi, a new species to science. The right to name the new species was auctioned through an agreement between the scientists, the Bolivian National Protected Area Service (SERNAP) and the Foundation for the Development of the Protected Areas (FUNDESNAP). This effort has raised 650,000U$ for a trust fund which now generates enough income to pay for 14 park guards annually. The park is also notable for its over 1,000 bird species, representing 11% of the world’s 9,000 bird species.
Equivalent there is a rich and varied life in the water with many fish species.
in the Bala Gorge
, where the Beni River breaks through the Bala Mountain Range.
The proposed hydroelectric dam project has a long history, and the project (and its threats against the nature in the area) was especially relevant about the year 1998. After some years the project apparently was given up, but the idea has come up again in 2007.
The dam
would cause the flooding of a huge area, about 2000 square kilometre, including a great part of the Madidi NP, and the catastrophic consequences are evident.
have shown that this project is not a good development alternative for the region (Fleck et al., 2006a, 2006b). The project is economically unfeasible and would induce significant deforestation within the protected area (Fleck et al., 2006b).
Environmental losses caused by the road project could threatened the current and future conservation and tourism activities in this protected area, which generate significant economic benefits to the region (Fleck et al., 2006a; Malki et al., 2007). Alternative investments such as improving the road that connects Apolo to La Paz (Peñarrieta & Fleck, 2007) and directing the road investment towards social investments such as health and education (Fleck et al., 2006b) have much more prospects of improving local quality of life while maintaining the important environmental services provided by Madidi.
Amazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
in Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. Established in 1995, it has an area of 18,958 square kilometres, and along with nearby protected (though not necessarily contiguous) areas Manuripi-Heath, Apolobamba
Apolobamba
Cordillera Apolobamba is a mountain range in the South American Andes.-Geographical Location:The Cordillera Apolobamba is located in the eastern borderland of Peru and Bolivia. It stretches across a distance of 50 km from East to West and 30 km from North to South...
, and (across the border in Peru) the Manu Biosphere Reserve
Manú National Park
Manú National Park is a biosphere reserve located in Madre de Dios and Paucartambo, Cusco. Before becoming an area protected by the Peruvian government, the Manú National Park was conserved thanks to its inaccessibility. The park remains fairly inaccessible by road to this day. In 1977, UNESCO...
. Madidi is part of one of the largest protected areas in the world.
Ranging from the glacier-covered peaks of the high Andes Mountains to the tropical rainforests of the Tuichi River
Tuichi River
The Tuichi River is a river in the Madidi National Park in the north of Bolivia. The Tuichi River flows through the rainforest and joins the Beni River south of Rurrenabaque....
, Madidi and its neighbors are recognized as one of the planet's most biologically diverse regions. In particular, Madidi protects parts of the Bolivian Yungas
Bolivian Yungas
The Bolivian Yungas is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in the Yungas of central Bolivia and eastern Peru.-Setting:The ecoregion occurs in elevations ranging from on the eastern slopes of the Andes in Bolivia...
and Bolivian montande dry forests ecoregions.
The Madidi National Park can be reached from Rurrenabaque
Rurrenabaque
Rurrenabaque is a small town in the North of Bolivia on the Beni River. It is the capital of Rurrenabaque Municipality. In recent years it has become popular with international tourism as it is an easy gateway for visits to Madidi National Park , as well as the surrounding pampas...
if you cross the Beni River
Beni River
The Beni River is a river in the north of Bolivia.It rises north of La Paz and flows northeast through the pampas. One of the tributary rivers is Tuichi River in the Madidi National Park. Tuichi River joins the Beni River upstream from the town Rurrenabaque. South of Rurrenabaque, Río Beni runs...
with the small passenger ferry over to San Buenaventura.
The local people who have migrated here from the Andean highlands speak the Quechua language. The cultures who find their origin here are the Tacana
Tacana
The Tacana language is a Western Tacanan language spoken by approximately 1,800 Tacana people in Bolivia out of an ethnic population of approximately 5,000 in the jungles along the Beni and Madre de Dios rivers.-External links:*...
, the Mosete, the Tsimane and the Ese Ejja, all of which have their own language which pertains to one language group.
Some eco-lodges are found in and around the Madidi National Park. The oldest and best known is Chalalan
Chalalan
Chalalan is an ecolodge in the Madidi National Park of Bolivia. The lodge sits on the Tuichi river, and can be accessed from within Bolivia by flying to Rurrenabaque and taking a boat up the Beni River and Tuichi River....
Ecolodge in Chalalán on the Tuichi River
Tuichi River
The Tuichi River is a river in the Madidi National Park in the north of Bolivia. The Tuichi River flows through the rainforest and joins the Beni River south of Rurrenabaque....
, a successful community-based enterprise that generates significant economic benefits to indigenous communities (Malky et al., 2007). Another important site is the Serere Sanctuary operated by Madidi Travel; a 4000 hectare private reserve dedicated to generating income through tourism for on-going conservation work to establish new legally protected zones in the north of the Madidi Mosaic. Others include San Miguel del Bala Eco-Lodge on the banks of the Beni River
Beni River
The Beni River is a river in the north of Bolivia.It rises north of La Paz and flows northeast through the pampas. One of the tributary rivers is Tuichi River in the Madidi National Park. Tuichi River joins the Beni River upstream from the town Rurrenabaque. South of Rurrenabaque, Río Beni runs...
reached by boat 40 minutes up stream from Rurrenabaque
Rurrenabaque
Rurrenabaque is a small town in the North of Bolivia on the Beni River. It is the capital of Rurrenabaque Municipality. In recent years it has become popular with international tourism as it is an easy gateway for visits to Madidi National Park , as well as the surrounding pampas...
, and the young Entno Ecolodge - Mashaquipe on the Tuichi River
Tuichi River
The Tuichi River is a river in the Madidi National Park in the north of Bolivia. The Tuichi River flows through the rainforest and joins the Beni River south of Rurrenabaque....
close to the outlet into the Beni River
Beni River
The Beni River is a river in the north of Bolivia.It rises north of La Paz and flows northeast through the pampas. One of the tributary rivers is Tuichi River in the Madidi National Park. Tuichi River joins the Beni River upstream from the town Rurrenabaque. South of Rurrenabaque, Río Beni runs...
.
Location
The PN (Parque Nacional) and IMNA (Integrated Management Natural Area)Madidi is located in the Northwest region of the Department of La Paz, in the provinces Franz TamayoFranz Tamayo Province
Franz Tamayo is a province in the Bolivian department of La Paz. It lies in the western part of the nation, and includes the Ulla Ulla National Reserve - which today is part of the Apolobamba Integrated Management Natural Area - in the high Andean plain on the western border with Peru...
, Iturralde
Abel Iturralde Province
Abel Iturralde is one of the twenty provinces of the Bolivian La Paz Department. It is situated in its northern part. Its name honors Abel Iturralde Palacios, a Bolivian politician. Madidi National Park is partially in this province.- Location :...
and Abel Bautista Saavedra
Bautista Saavedra Province
Bautista Saavedra is one of the twenty provinces of the Bolivian department of La Paz and is situated in the department's northwestern parts. The province's name honors Bautista Saavedra Mallea , Bolivia's president from 1920 to 1925.- Location :...
. The municipalities involved are Apolo
Apolo
Apolo is a location in the Franz Tamayo Province in the La Paz Department, Bolivia, South America, with a population of 2,123 in the year 2001. It is the seat of the Apolo Municipality....
, San Buenaventura
San Buenaventura
San Buenaventura is a town and seat of the surrounding municipality of the same name in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila.It is located at , in the state's central region .There were 19,986 inhabitants in 2000.-External links:*...
, Ixiamas, Curva and Pelechuco.
Adjacent to the west, with the Tambopata-Candamo
Tambopata-Candamo
Tambopata-Candamo is a nature reserve in the Peruvian Amazon Basin south of the Madre de Dios River in Tambopata Province's Inambari and Tambopata districts...
Reserve and Bahuaja-Sonene National Park
Bahuaja-Sonene National Park
The Bahuaja-Sonene National Park is located in south-eastern Peru. It contains the tropical forests and tropical foothills of Puno, dwarf forests, and the Heath Pampas. It was created in July 1996 out of the Tambopata-Candamo Reserved Zone and expanded on Sept...
in Peru, on the east by the TCO (Tierra Comunitaria de Origen / Indigenous community land) Tacana I, on the north by TCO Tacana II and south adjacent to the Integrated Management Natural Area National Apolobamba
Apolobamba
Cordillera Apolobamba is a mountain range in the South American Andes.-Geographical Location:The Cordillera Apolobamba is located in the eastern borderland of Peru and Bolivia. It stretches across a distance of 50 km from East to West and 30 km from North to South...
, TCO Lecos Apolo
Apolo
Apolo is a location in the Franz Tamayo Province in the La Paz Department, Bolivia, South America, with a population of 2,123 in the year 2001. It is the seat of the Apolo Municipality....
, TCO Lecos Larecaja and Biosphere Reserve and Indigenous Territory Pilón Lajas.
The PN and IMNA Madidi is one of the largest protected areas in Bolivia, with a total land area, according to the Supreme Decree building 18957.5 square kilometres, of which 12,715 km² come under the heading of National Park and 6,242.5 km² are categorized under the Integrated Management Natural Area.
Its boundaries are between 12° 30' and 14° 44' southern latitude and between 67° 30' and 69° 51' western longitude.
The area under conservation covers an altitudinal gradient ranging from 180 to 5,760 meters above sea level and has a variety of ecosystems.
Weather
The climate varies from cold in the mountain range area, in temperate lands intermediate mountain until warm lowlands of the North.The winds come predominantly from the north and south of cold fronts have little impact on the temperature of the region's Madidi. The dry season coincides with the austral winter. The average annual temperature is 26 C degrees , but much depends on the altitude. Isotemas
According to data from Assane (2002), in the region of Apollo is the annual rainfall of 716 mm and October to March with the greatest precipitation, the dry season covered the months from May to September.Isoyetas
Effort
Rosa Maria Ruiz is a woman who has fought for the park and its conservation for over 20 years. She was the founder of Eco-Bolivia, an organization that was instrumental in establishing Madidi National Park in the 1990s. In 2000, Ruiz led a team from the National Geographic through the Madidi National park, the resulting article drew significant international attention to the area, and assisted in derailing plans for the construction of a hydroelectric dam within the park. The organization ceased to operate in 2002. Ruiz now continues her work through Madidi Travel, an organisation committed to the consolidation of the Madidi Mosaic by generating income from sustainable tourismSustainable tourism
Sustainable tourism is tourism attempting to make a low impact on the environment and local culture, while helping to generate future employment for local people. The aim of sustainable tourism is to ensure that development brings a positive experience for local people, tourism companies and the...
. Madidi Travel currently operates the Serere Sanctuary, a four thousand hectare private reserve, located three hours from Rurrenabaque by boat.
Wildlife
Dr. Robert WallaceRobert Wallace
Robert Wallace was a Scottish politician. He was an electoral franchise reformer and agitator for postal service reform.He was elected to the Westminster Parliament as the member for Greenock in 1832, sitting for that constituency until 1845.Robert Wallace was the founder of the campaign for cheap...
, wildlife biologist, is credited for discovering in Madidi an unidentified titi monkey who only lives in Madidi, a new species to science. The right to name the new species was auctioned through an agreement between the scientists, the Bolivian National Protected Area Service (SERNAP) and the Foundation for the Development of the Protected Areas (FUNDESNAP). This effort has raised 650,000U$ for a trust fund which now generates enough income to pay for 14 park guards annually. The park is also notable for its over 1,000 bird species, representing 11% of the world’s 9,000 bird species.
Equivalent there is a rich and varied life in the water with many fish species.
The Bala Dam Project
One of the threats against the Madidi NP have been (and perhaps still is) the proposed Bala Dam Project at the Beni RiverBeni River
The Beni River is a river in the north of Bolivia.It rises north of La Paz and flows northeast through the pampas. One of the tributary rivers is Tuichi River in the Madidi National Park. Tuichi River joins the Beni River upstream from the town Rurrenabaque. South of Rurrenabaque, Río Beni runs...
in the Bala Gorge
Bala Gorge, Bolivia
The Bala Gorge in Bolivia is where the Beni River breaks through the Bala Mountain Range about 12 kilometres south of Rurrenabaque. .The Bala Gorge is in the Bolivian Amazon rainforest and the west side of the Gorge is in the Madidi National Park...
, where the Beni River breaks through the Bala Mountain Range.
The proposed hydroelectric dam project has a long history, and the project (and its threats against the nature in the area) was especially relevant about the year 1998. After some years the project apparently was given up, but the idea has come up again in 2007.
The dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
would cause the flooding of a huge area, about 2000 square kilometre, including a great part of the Madidi NP, and the catastrophic consequences are evident.
The Apolo-Ixiamas road project
Another of the main threats against Madidi is the construction of the Apolo-Ixiamas road. This is an old demand from some local politicians and communities from the Altiplano, who want to colonize the park for timber and agriculture exploitation. However, independent studies from the NGO Conservation Strategy FundConservation Strategy Fund
Conservation Strategy Fund is an international non-governmental environmental conservation organization based in Sebastopol, CA, with offices in Arcata, CA, and Lagoa Santa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It focuses on economic issues underlying the conservation of rainforests, oceans, and other ecosystems...
have shown that this project is not a good development alternative for the region (Fleck et al., 2006a, 2006b). The project is economically unfeasible and would induce significant deforestation within the protected area (Fleck et al., 2006b).
Environmental losses caused by the road project could threatened the current and future conservation and tourism activities in this protected area, which generate significant economic benefits to the region (Fleck et al., 2006a; Malki et al., 2007). Alternative investments such as improving the road that connects Apolo to La Paz (Peñarrieta & Fleck, 2007) and directing the road investment towards social investments such as health and education (Fleck et al., 2006b) have much more prospects of improving local quality of life while maintaining the important environmental services provided by Madidi.
See also
- Madidi RiverMadidi RiverMadidi is a river of the Amazon Basin located in the La Paz Department of Bolivia. The elevation of the river's source is 1060 m, and the elevation of its mouth is 159 m. The river is 595 km long....
- The National Geographic Magazine, March 2000; Vol. 197, No.3, page 2-23
External links
- Servicio Nacional de Áreas Protegidas, SERNAP: The Madidi National Park - El Parque Nacional Madidi: Official website
- Regional economic benefits from conservation: the case of Madidi
- A road through Madidi: an environmental-economic analysis
- El efecto Chalalán: Un ejercicio de valoración económica para una empresa comunitaria
- Beneficios y costos del mejoramiento de la carretera Charazani - Apolo
- Madidi.de, in three languages, "Projekt Regenzeit e.V." (Cf. *Urwaldprojekte.de)
- How Does WCS Protect Madidi? (Wildlife Conservation Society).
- Madidi National Park and IMNA - Park Profile, ParksWatch.org
- Pictures of fish caught in the Beni River.
- Madidi Amazon Travel, Socio-cultural tourism
- San Miguel del Bala Community Eco-Lodge & Eco-Tourism
- Madidi Travel, calle Linarez, La Paz.
- Madidi photos, Photo gallery of landscape, flora and fauna of Madidi National Park
- Bolivian Conservationist Calls for Preservation of Madidi Region, One of the Most Biodiverse Areas of World video by Democracy Now!Democracy Now!Democracy Now! and its staff have received several journalism awards, including the Gracie Award from American Women in Radio & Television; the George Polk Award for its 1998 radio documentary Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship, on the Chevron Corporation and the deaths of...