Evaluando la Huella de Carbono y la Huella Hídrica de ciudades andinas como una estrategia para promover un desarrollo compatible con el clima: el caso de La Paz, Bolivia

This case study examines the implementation of the "Huellas de Carbono e Hídrica en tres ciudades andinas: La Paz, Quito, Lima" project in La Paz, Bolivia. It details the first-ever measurement of the city's carbon and water footprints for the base year 2012, the identification of critical emission and consumption points, and the subsequent integration of reduction measures into municipal policy and budgeting.

• La Paz is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its reliance on tropical Andean glaciers for water. Approximately 25% of the water used for human consumption, irrigation, and energy generation comes from these glaciers, which have seen a 48% reduction in the surface area of the Cordillera Real over the last 50 years.
• The 2012 carbon footprint evaluation for La Paz identified the transport sector as the primary contributor, accounting for 49% of emissions, with gasoline and diesel as the main sources of greenhouse gases.
• The 2012 water footprint evaluation revealed that the residential sector is the largest contributor at 81%, with the residential 'grey water footprint' alone representing 80% of the city's total water footprint.
• Evaluations of the municipal government's own footprints identified specific critical points: two municipal buildings were the highest consumers of electricity and gasoline, and the municipal slaughterhouse contributed 80% of the government's total water footprint.
• The project led to concrete policy and budgetary actions, including the Mayor's public presentation of 10 commitments to reduce footprints in August 2013 and the inclusion of a wastewater treatment plant in the 2014 municipal budget.
• Two specific pilot projects were prioritized for implementation: a closed-circuit energy and effluent reuse system at the Municipal Zoo using animal waste and wastewater, and a solid waste management and family farming project in the peri-urban neighborhood of Kenanipata involving organic composting and greenhouses.
• Implementation faced three primary challenges: the difficulty of accessing complete data from various entities, the reluctance of some key actors to share sensitive information, and a highly politicized environment due to the municipal government being an opposition party to the national and departmental governments during an election year.

APA

Rodríguez, M. (2014). Evaluando la Huella de Carbono y la Huella Hídrica de ciudades andinas como una estrategia para promover un desarrollo compatible con el clima: el caso de La Paz, Bolivia. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/LAPAZ-InsideStory-ES.pdf

Chicago

Rodríguez, Miguel. Evaluando la Huella de Carbono y la Huella Hídrica de ciudades andinas como una estrategia para promover un desarrollo compatible con el clima: el caso de La Paz, Bolivia. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2014. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/LAPAZ-InsideStory-ES.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Rodríguez |first1=Miguel |title=Evaluando la Huella de Carbono y la Huella Hídrica de ciudades andinas como una estrategia para promover un desarrollo compatible con el clima: el caso de La Paz, Bolivia |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=November 2014 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/LAPAZ-InsideStory-ES.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rodrguez2014evaluando, author = {Rodríguez, Miguel}, title = {{Evaluando la Huella de Carbono y la Huella Hídrica de ciudades andinas como una estrategia para promover un desarrollo compatible con el clima: el caso de La Paz, Bolivia}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2014}, month = nov, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/LAPAZ-InsideStory-ES.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }