Business development in Bolivia strengthens resilience to climate change
Published
Through the Nordic Development Fund (NDF), Sweden is contributing to a project in Bolivia that supports climate change resilience.
Business development for biodiversity in Bolivia enhances resilience to climate change.
Bartolina Marayai lives in central Bolivia in an area that has been exposed to record-breaking forest fires in recent years, while there at the same time there have been extensive changes in land use. She founded the company Bartgwagwasu to produce shampoo and other goods using palm trees in a way that preserves the trees without having to cut them down. The project has enabled the company to switch from using wood stoves to gas, making production more sustainable.
The record-breaking forest fires that hit the Bolivian Amazon in 2024 have underscored the importance of protecting the region’s forests, biodiversity and the livelihoods of the communities that depend on them.
Bartgwagwasu is one of many companies in Latin America and the Caribbean that have received support through Ecomicro, a programme that the NDF has helped develop with the Inter-American Development Bank to advance microfinance for the green transition of the business sector.
Read more about the project on the NDF website - external website,
Did you know?
In 2023, the NDF helped mobilise EUR 1.4 billion in climate finance.
Sweden’s climate aid success stories
On this page, you can read about some of the many projects in which Swedish climate aid is making a difference. Read more about Sweden’s climate aid and discover more stories via the link.
About the Nordic Development Fund
The Nordic Development Fund (NDF) is the only collective Nordic development cooperation organisation. It was established in 1988, and since 2009 it has focused entirely on climate and development. In 2024, Sweden transferred just over EUR 9.6 million to the NDF, which decides on new initiatives valued at around EUR 70–75 million a year. Sweden chaired the NDF board between 1 May 2024 and 30 April 2025.
