Supreme Decree 1696, laying down regulations on the Plurinational Authority of Mother Earth and Climate Change

This Bolivia Supreme Decree regulates the Plurinational Authority of Mother Earth and Climate Change, implementing Law No. 300 (Law of Mother Earth and Integral Development for Living Well) by establishing regulations for the Plurinational Authority of Mother Earth (APMT), its operational mechanisms, and trust fund modalities. It establishes a comprehensive institutional structure that combines climate action with the notion of 'Living Well' (Vivir Bien) and the rights of Mother Earth, into climate governance frameworks. Within that context, the functions of the APMT authority includes (1) the development and implementation of national climate change policy and planning; (2) management of the Plurinational Fund of Mother Earth; (3) coordination of climate action across governmental bodies; and (4) monitoring and evaluation of climate policy implementation. Noteworthy, this Supreme Decree establishes particular regulation for two climate change operational mechanisms: (1) Mitigation Mechanism for Living Well, operating through a sectoral approach, focusing on the Energy sector, Industrial economic-productive sector, and Climate mitigation services sector. (2) Adaptation Mechanism for Living Well, targeting most vulnerable areas to climate impacts through priority programmes, including life systems resilience for food security and sovereignty, climate risk prevention and risk reduction, integrated water management, climate related education and health programmes. Equally, the Supreme Decree 1696 implements the Plurinational Information System and Integral Monitoring of Mother Earth and Climate Change (MTCC System), which encompasses environmental functions and life systems, considering climate change impacts across different sectors, productive systems, and territories.