Who Are We?
Founded in 1990, PROMETA (Protección del Medio Ambiente Tarija) is a Bolivian NGO committed to contributing to the proper management of the natural environment and to improving the standard of living of rural communities and indigenous peoples. Through this approach, the organization has helped establish conservation areas covering more than 1.8 million hectares in six of Bolivia’s seven ecoregions.
In the early stages of its history, PROMETA established the three national protected areas in the department of Tarija: the Tariquía National Flora and Fauna Reserve, the Cordillera de Sama Biological Reserve, and the Aguaragüe National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area. In addition, it participated in the development of the regulatory framework for the creation of the Serranía del Iñao National Park in the department of Chuquisaca.
He later introduced the concept of Municipal Protected Areas in Bolivia and developed the technical and legal framework for the creation of these areas, which were subsequently incorporated into the Political Constitution of the State in 2009. This contributed to the creation of municipal protected areas in various regions of the country.
Furthermore, PROMETA has promoted the creation of sustainable and diversified financial mechanisms for local and national protected areas and has worked to implement productive projects in areas of importance for conservation and sustainable development. Furthermore, it has made a decisive contribution to the development of methodologies for climate change mitigation and adaptation at the local level by supporting the creation of more than ten Municipal Climate Change Plans and Bolivia’s first Departmental Climate Change Plan in Tarija.
Throughout its history, the organization has also worked to conserve endangered species in Bolivia, such as the jucumari bear (Tremarctos ornatus) and the guanaco (Lama guanicoe). In addition to participating in studies on other species, it has contributed to the discovery of new ones, such as the butterfly Morpho helenor prometa, named in honor of the organization.
