Climate change, as a social, economic, and ecological issue, was discussed and analyzed during the workshop “Departmental Development Planning with Adaptation and Risk Management Associated with Climate Change,” held on the 7th and 8th of March, led by the institution PROMETA, in coordination with the Tarija Departmental Government and the Héroes de la Independencia Commonwealth.On the 7th and 8th of March, the Departmental Workshop titled “Departmental Development Planning with Adaptation and Risk Management Associated with Climate Change” took place, organized by PROMETA, the Tarija Department Government, the Association of Municipalities of Tarija (A.M.T.), and the Héroes de la Independencia Commonwealth. The workshop focused on discussing the development of mechanisms aimed at integrating Climate Change Adaptation and Risk Management into the planning systems at the departmental, regional, and municipal levels within the Department. Additionally, it was decided to work on crafting a departmental policy in this regard and to establish an open forum that brings together state and civil society organizations related to the topic.
The event saw the participation of various public institutions (the departmental government, sectional governments, municipal governments), political decision-makers, non-governmental organizations in Tarija, academic and research entities, media, and civil society. The workshop unfolded across two sessions involving distinct groups of stakeholders. Initially, the focus lay on engaging political decision-makers and executive figures at the political and decision-making levels. The objective was to craft public policies guiding the integration of adaptation components and risk management associated with climate change into the department’s strategic planning processes. This phase benefited from presentations by invited specialists who shared their experiences and highlighted crucial challenges in addressing climate vulnerability.
The panel of speakers on the first day included Rodrigo Ayala, PROMETA’s Executive Director, addressing the topic of “Elements for the Formulation and Implementation of a Departmental Policy on Adaptation and Risk Management Associated with Climate Change for the Department of Tarija”; Engineer Roberto Ruiz, Executive Secretary of the Government, discussing “Considerations Regarding Climate Change and Risk Management in Gubernatorial Strategic Planning, Weaknesses, and Opportunities”; and Engineer Jorge Espinoza, an expert in Territorial Planning, focusing on “Adaptive Territorial Management, a Model for Comprehensive, Strategic, and High-Impact Planning.” Subsequent to each presentation, productive dialogues ensued, fostering valuable discussions.
The presentations and the assessment of the current situation generated significant expectations among participating decision-makers and technicians. These expectations revolve around undertaking short and medium-term efforts to incorporate risk management and climate change adaptation into the departmental and municipal development planning processes.