ArgentinaWater · Drought

Restoration of native highland forests (Polylepis australis) as a strategy for adaptation to drought and protection of hydrological basins in the mountains of Córdoba, Argentina

In the mountains of Córdoba (Argentina), the loss of high-altitude native tabaquillo (Polylepis australis) forests degraded the basins that supply water to 80% of the provincial population. Bosques de Agua, a project led by youth, reforests and restores these forests in the Pampa de Achala Water Reserve to recover soil water regulation in the face of increasingly extreme and frequent droughts. He has already planted 450,000 tabaquillos and incorporated 209 hectares into a nature reserve.

DroughtWater
Imagen de Restauración de bosques nativos de altura (Polylepis australis) como estrategia de adaptación a la sequía y protección de cuencas hidrológicas en las sierras de Córdoba, Argentina
Problem
In the Sierras Grandes of Córdoba, the historical deforestation of high-altitude native forests, of which today less than 3% of their original surface remains, degraded the soil's capacity to absorb and retain rainwater. This intensified summer droughts, accelerated erosion and reduced the flow of streams that originate in the area, in addition to aggravating the risk of forest fires, which are becoming more frequent due to climate change.
Action
Tabaquillo seeds are collected, seedlings are produced in their own nurseries and annual planting campaigns are carried out in the Pampa de Achala Reserve, with the participation of local workers and volunteers. Degraded lands are purchased and transformed into natural reserves for restoration, the transition towards regenerative livestock farming integrated with native forest is promoted, and long-term monitoring of forest growth is carried out, generating rural employment and recovering traditional trades in the area.
Place
Mina Clavero and Calamuchita, Córdoba, Argentina
Youth participation
The initiative was created in 2021 by Juan Manuel Martín (32 years old) and Juan Pablo Moretto (29 years old) and a large part of the more than 700 volunteers who participated in planting and nursery days are young people and students who individually joined the organization's open calls.

Base information

Measure summary

In the mountains of Córdoba (Argentina), the loss of high-altitude native tabaquillo (Polylepis australis) forests degraded the basins that supply water to 80% of the provincial population. Bosques de Agua, a project led by youth, reforests and restores these forests in the Pampa de Achala Water Reserve to recover soil water regulation in the face of increasingly extreme and frequent droughts. He has already planted 450,000 tabaquillos and incorporated 209 hectares into a nature reserve.

National vulnerability profile

Argentina faces growing climate threats in a context of weakening environmental policy and budget cuts. More than 75% of the territory is arid or semi-arid, the geographical region of Cuyo has been going through a megadrought since 2010 and Patagonia experienced 43 months of drought at the end of 2025. In 2023 alone, the drought caused the loss of 50% of key crops, which represented a drop of more than 3 points in GDP.

Measure objectives

Restore the hydrological functioning of the basins of the Pampa de Achala Reserve to ensure water supply, reduce erosion and vulnerability to drought, and generate rural employment by revaluing local knowledge. The goal is to plant 1,250,000 native trees (mainly tabaquillo) and protect between 20,000 and 30,000 hectares of high altitude forest and native grassland.

Proposed solutions

Tabaquillo seeds are collected, seedlings are produced in their own nurseries and annual planting campaigns are carried out in the Pampa de Achala Reserve, with the participation of local workers and volunteers. Degraded lands are purchased and transformed into natural reserves for restoration, the transition towards regenerative livestock farming integrated with native forest is promoted, and long-term monitoring of forest growth is carried out, generating rural employment and recovering traditional trades in the area.

Beneficiary communities

More than 3 million people in Córdoba depend on the water of the Sierras Grandes (80% of the provincial population). In addition, the project generated more than 70 jobs in rural communities of Calamuchita (seeds, nursery, planting and monitoring) and brings together more than 700 volunteers.

Role of youth

The initiative was created in 2021 by Juan Manuel Martín (32 years old) and Juan Pablo Moretto (29 years old) and a large part of the more than 700 volunteers who participated in planting and nursery days are young people and students who individually joined the organization's open calls.

Results

450,000 tabaquillos were planted and 209 hectares were incorporated into a nature reserve, with more than 1,000 additional hectares in transition, in addition to 2,000 hectares under regenerative livestock practices. Direct sowing managed to increase its germination rate from 10% to 90%. Likewise, the project generated more than 70 rural jobs, brought together more than 700 volunteers and injected more than USD 1 million into the regional economy.

Complementary information

Funding type

Mixed

Local climate problem

In the Sierras Grandes of Córdoba, the historical deforestation of high-altitude native forests, of which today less than 3% of their original surface remains, degraded the soil's capacity to absorb and retain rainwater. This intensified summer droughts, accelerated erosion and reduced the flow of streams that originate in the area, in addition to aggravating the risk of forest fires, which are becoming more frequent due to climate change.

National sociopolitical context

Since December 2023, the national environmental area went from ministry to undersecretary, and its budget fell from 0.12% to 0.03% of national spending between 2023 and 2026, according to FARN. The Native Forests Act Fund recorded sharp reductions and there are discussions about relaxing its restrictions, which limits public financing for forest conservation.

Strategic alliances

The initiative is led by the NGO Bosques de Agua, based in the Umepay ecovillage (Calamuchita). It works alongside local livestock producers, whom it accompanies in the transition towards regenerative livestock farming, and calls for more than 700 volunteers in reforestation campaigns. It is supported by individual donations and alliances with companies such as Nativas and Visión.

Enabling and limiting factors

Among the enabling factors, the territorial roots of its founders in the Umepay ecovillage and the high public visibility of the Córdoba water crisis stand out, which facilitated the collection of donations and the call for volunteers, in addition to the technical innovation in germination (from 10% to 90%). Conditions identified include the state's defunding of the Forest Law, the need to buy land due to the lack of effective legal protection, the resistance of traditional livestock producers to change practices, and the constant risk of forest fires.

Co-benefits

In addition to water security, the initiative conserves endemic high-altitude biodiversity, captures carbon and improves soil health. It also generates social cohesion and environmental education through volunteering, and revalues ​​traditional rural knowledge and crafts linked to the forest and mountains.

Scalability

The model is replicable in other mountain provinces with degraded high altitude forests (San Luis, La Rioja, Catamarca), where Polylepis fulfills a similar water function. It requires land to conserve, sustained financing and producers who adopt regenerative livestock farming, with training and technical support. The improvement in germination (90%) makes it easier to scale seedling production.

Long-term sustainability

Funding depends on donations and voluntary corporate compensation, with no guaranteed constant income. However, the team lives in the area and there is recurring volunteering. In addition, the maintenance cost after planting is low, since the tabaquillo is an adapted native species.

Documents and references

Bosques de Agua: https://bosquesdeagua.ar; To the rescue of tabaquillo: In search of recovering the availability of water, the NGO Bosques de Agua establishes high altitude forests in the Sierras Grandes of Córdoba: https://bichosdecampo.com/al-rescate-del-tabaquillo-en-busca-de-recuperar-la-disponibilidad-de-agua-la-ong-bosques-de-agua-implanta-bosques-de-altura-sobre-las-sierras-grandes-de-cordoba/ ; Bosques de Agua (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/bosquesdeagua/ ; They live in an ecovillage and plant trees to recover the mountains of Córdoba, devastated by fires: https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/2023/11/02/viven-en-una-ecoaldea-y-plantan-arboles-para-recuperar-las-sierras-de-cordoba-devastadas-por-los-incendios/