Krystal Bedregal Flores

I am a Bolivian biologist who studied at the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA). I completed my Master’s in Sustainable Rural Development and am currently a Ph.D. candidate in Rural Development Sciences, both at the Center for Postgraduate Studies in Development Sciences at UMSA. Throughout my professional life, I have had the opportunity to work in various ecosystems, meet diverse communities, and learn about their livelihoods. This has allowed me to appreciate the value of life experiences.

Working in areas such as evaluating livelihood strategies, community governance, climate change, Food Security/Sovereignty, and the sustainability of natural resource management, these experiences have provided me with a solid understanding of the state of rural development in Bolivia. My doctoral research focuses on the “Governance and Sustainability of Natural Resources in Wild Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) Exploitation Systems in the Municipality of Baures, Beni,” in the Amazon region of Bolivia. My thesis evaluates governance as a tool for the long-term conservation of these common-use ecosystems within Elinor Ostrom’s Socio-Ecological Systems Framework.