This solution contributes to the conservation and restoration of high Andean wetland ecosystems in the Laguna de los Pozuelos, Argentina, through the active participation of local communities.
In the Laguna de los Pozuelos, various local initiatives have been implemented in order to better conserve and restore fragile high Andean wetlands ecosystems, involving local communities as key stakeholders in the development of the solution. The main solution was the implementation of more sustainable grazing practices and management of wetlands with restoration actions, through agreements with key local communities and institutions. At the same time, the developed Livestock grazing Management Plan was included in the Biosphere Reserve Management Plan, that entails the collaboration between local, provincial and national authorities. Additionally, a plan for the management and restoration of vegas has been applied in 56.6 ha in Laguna de los Pozuelos. Another complementary solution is the installation of solar pumps to replace and close artificial waterholes that lead to loss of water through evaporation and contamination.
The Laguna de los Pozuelos Biosphere Reserve, declared in 1990 by UNESCO, has an area of 350,000 ha located in the northwest of the province of Jujuy. It is a saline lagoon, with a surface area of 16,224 ha, located in an extremely arid zone, where only species adapted to these conditions survive. The Biosphere Reserve is inhabited by about 10,000 people, whose main activity is the raising of domestic cattle and where overgrazing is resulting in the degradation of the plains.
These high Andean wetlands constitute a key component to ensure the region's resilience to climate change and provide economic benefits to local communities, such as grazing areas for llamas. Wetlands are areas where water is the main factor that controls the ecological functioning of the area, which is why they can be characterized as “hydro-ecosystems”. Especially in arid areas, these systems are of great importance for biodiversity and local populations that depend on the ecosystem services they provide, such as regulation and accumulation of water. Additionally, they represent an invaluable cultural heritage for many rural communities and indigenous peoples.
Despite their great value, high Andean wetlands in Laguna de los Pozuelos are threatened mainly by overgrazing and land use changes. In addition, the Andean region is experiencing new environmental changes due to the redistribution of human settlements in urban centres, and the expansion of mining and tourism. These changes occur in the context of greater drought due to climate change that affects the economy.
Wetlands International started in 2017 the program “Saving High Andean wetlands for People and Nature”. The overall objective is to restore the health of these ecosystems to safeguard their unique biodiversity and the livelihoods of the communities that depend on them, so that they can continue regulating water and carbon for the benefit of society and nature. One of the original work sites were Laguna de los Pozuelos National Monument and Ramsar Site in the province of Jujuy (Argentina). Between 2017 and early 2019, the first phase of the programme was developed. Together with the nine communities living around the site, pilot experiences were carried out to develop better practices of cattle grazing, and management of wetlands with restoration actions. The program in Pozuelos is implemented together with the communities, in collaboration with local institutions, National Parks Administration, Secretary of Family Agriculture and National Institute for Agricultural and Livestock Technology (INTA).
