Environmental and Social Due Diligence of Charagua Iyambae landscape, Bolivia

The Charagua Iyambae Landscape project is being developed under the Legacy Landscapes Fund (LLF) Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IP&LC) funding window, which provides long-term financing to Indigenous-led conservation initiatives. The project is implemented by the Gobierno Autónomo Indígena Originario Campesino (GAIOC) Charagua Iyambae, the first Indigenous autonomous government in Bolivia, and aims to strengthen Indigenous territorial governance while conserving globally significant ecosystems in the Gran Chaco. The initiative promotes biodiversity conservation, sustainable natural resource management, climate resilience, and the protection of Indigenous rights and traditional knowledge through Indigenous-led landscape governance.

AAE was contracted by LLF to conduct the Environmental and Social Due Diligence (ESDD) for the proposed landscape, with the objective of identifying environmental, social and human rights risks, assessing the institutional capacity of the prospective grantee, and developing a culturally appropriate Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) in line with LLF Environmental and Social Standards.

The consultancy includes:

1. a comprehensive desk review of the project, legal and institutional framework, and socio-environmental context;
2. stakeholder mapping and preparation of a consultation methodology and fieldwork plan;
3. a field mission to the Charagua Iyambae landscape, including consultations with Indigenous authorities, communities, women, youth, government agencies and other key stakeholders;
4. the preparation of an Environmental and Social Due Diligence (ESDD) report, including a detailed environmental and social risk assessment and mitigation measures; and
5. the development of a culturally appropriate Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) to strengthen environmental, social and governance systems for long-term project implementation.

The assignment is carried out by a multidisciplinary team of international and national specialists with extensive experience in environmental and social safeguards, Indigenous Peoples' rights, stakeholder engagement, gender equality and social inclusion, conservation governance, and human rights-based approaches.