We have launched “The Project for Institutional Strengthening in the River Transport Sector in Bolivia”. This project marks the first JICA initiative in Bolivia focused on the port and water transport sectors.

As a landlocked nation in central South America, Bolivia utilizes its rivers as vital trade routes. The Paraguay-Paraná Waterway (referred to as the HPP Waterway), which handles international cargo, is used to export Bolivian soybean products to other South American countries. It also facilitates the extraction and export of mineral resources such as iron ore, manganese, and urea.

 The Bolivian access point to the HPP Waterway is known as the Tamengo Canal, where three private ports are currently in operation. However, inadequate coordination and collaboration among organizations responsible for river logistics, insufficient maintenance and management, and seasonal low water levels have hindered cargo navigation through the Tamengo Canal. These challenges became particularly acute in 2019, when historically low rainfall across South America caused the canal’s water depth to reach its lowest level in the past 100 years. Consequently, Bolivia’s cargo exports via the Tamengo Canal reportedly declined by approximately 61%.

 Under these circumstances, the Bolivian Ministry of Public Works, Services, and Housing (hereinafter referred to as “MOPSV”), in coordination with relevant agencies, requested technical cooperation from the Japanese government to strengthen the framework for river logistics development. This project has attracted significant attention in Bolivia as a means to contribute to the country’s sustainable economic growth by facilitating logistics via river transport and resolving the challenges facing the Tamengo Canal through capacity building at MOPSV.

Front row, left: Deputy Minister of Transportation Sánchez;                                                      Sunset over the Tamengo Cana

center: Team Leader Muroi; right: MOPSV/UTH Section Chief Daidania (after the kickoff meeting)

OCDI survey team with officials from Puerto Suárez, where the Tamengo Canal is located

(commemorative photo taken after the project presentation)

Port Jennifer, one of the three ports along the Tamengo Canal