Above the clouds

From snow-capped peaks to lush rain forests, Bolivia’s diverse geography is breath-taking, but its vast and rugged terrain also poses challenges as authorities prepare for and respond to emergencies.

Bolivia is one of South America’s most natural disaster-prone nations. Deforestation and erosion have exasperated the country’s vulnerability to droughts and floods. Climate change is also accelerating glacial melting in the Andes and the consequent water runoff is threatening the livelihoods of remote indigenous communities.

There is eagerness in Bolivia to bring in drones to complement climate change adaption initiatives already happening on the ground. Hugo Mamani Ticona, an agrometeorologist and climate analyst for non-government organization Prosuco, works with bio indicators and local observers to compile information on animal behaviour.

Bio indicators are living organisms, including plants and animals, that are used to gauge the environmental health and bio-geographic changes of an ecosystem. This type of ancestral knowledge has been used for centuries by indigenous communities to predict weather patterns and assist farmers with their crops. Now it is increasingly employed alongside satellite imagery and meteorological data to evaluate the impact of adverse weather in vulnerable areas.

This gives local authorities a data boost when predicting rainfall monitoring crops: “We use satellite images with Sentinel but these have time intervals, so the information varies. Drone technology will allow us to monitor at any time the phenological shifts of the crop. Prosuco has already purchased a drone (…) So we can corroborate the information from observing a fox’s behaviour [with local observers].”

Merging local knowledge and bio indicators into the Bolivian Government’s early warning system is at the heart of a joint project implemented by the Vice Ministry of Civil Defence (VIDECI) and the World Food Programme (WFP), funded by the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Directorate General (ECHO). The project, centred around the Municipality of Curahuara de Carangas, south west of La Paz, aims to bolster emergency preparedness activities to safeguard the livelihoods of local communities.

Bolivia’s geography and arid topography make it easy for large amounts of water to accumulate in many areas during rainy season, causing landslides and floods, and endangering crops as well as livestock. Summer droughts and heavy winter snowfalls make it an arduous task to ensure that local farmers and llama herds have access to water and adequate grazing fields. Drones are being used in some communities to help farmers pinpoint water access for their livestock.

VIDECI and WFP representatives recently travelled to the communities of Rosapata and Lagunas, where drone maps — which can detail elevated plains as well as slope angles — can be used to help local communities prepare for adverse weather more effectively. “We have hail, snow storms and droughts. A lot of people depend on herding llamas and we have created irrigation projects to provide water access to everyone. Obviously, using drones helps us technically to better assess the reservoirs we have. We know how much water we received and where,” says Javier Grover Flores Bautista from the Risk and Environmental Management Unit in the Autonomous Municipal Government of Curahuara de Carangas.

Collaborating with Bolivian authorities and municipal representatives, WFP’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) team used four drones over vast areas to gather data. Within 30 minutes, the team captured visual and numerical data covering 800,000 square metres — roughly 200 acres of hard-to-access terrain. The drone data was processed and collated the following day to generate 3D elevation models and high-resolution maps. These data products were shared with risk management authorities and local community representatives.

Lieutenant Col. Angel Martin Vargas Hanssen, Information Analyst in VIDECI’s Risk Management Information System (SINAGER) attended a WFP UAS training in La Paz to look at how drones could be introduced into the country’s early warning system. “We have developed a comprehensive strategic plan, which includes implementing technology and [integrating] drones into risk management. We see drones as an incredibly important tool,” he said.

Drones are giving Bolivia a cost-effective, timely and accurate tool to gather decision-making data and strengthen its national capacity to assess, plan and prepare for climate-related events of the future. With its capacity to synthesize modern and traditional sources of knowledge for use in early warning systems, UAS technology is elevating disaster management in Bolivia to new heights.

Read more about WFP’s use of drones