Watchbirds of the Valles

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all

• Emily Dickinson

In the heart of Bolivia's agricultural regions, smallholder farmers find themselves on the frontlines of climate change. Droughts, floods, and extreme weather events threaten their livelihoods with increasing frequency and severity. But in the face of these mounting challenges, a beacon of hope is emerging: Suyana’s early warning system and parametric insurance cover.

At Suyana, our mission is to make climate protection accessible and affordable for all. We're harnessing the power of satellite data, machine learning, and embedded insurance to transform how the world manages climate risk. Now, with the support of a major grant, we're launching a first-of-its-kind initiative to build resilience for over 80,000 Bolivian farmers.

1 / A Two-Pronged Approach to Climate Adaptation

Our project integrates two complementary solutions:

1. Parametric Insurance: A data-driven insurance product that provides automatic payouts when predefined climate thresholds, such as extreme soil moisture deficits, are crossed. Using high-resolution satellite data, we can precisely assess risks and trigger compensation without the need for costly in-field damage assessments.

2. Early Warning System: A state-of-the-art forecasting model that provides farmers with localized predictions of droughts, excess rainfall, heat waves, and cold snaps up to 14 days in advance. By knowing what's coming, farmers can take preventive measures like adjusting planting schedules, applying protective irrigation, or safeguarding assets.

Together, these tools provide a powerful shield against climate shocks. The early warnings help prevent avoidable damage, while the insurance offers a vital safety net for unavoidable catastrophic losses.

2 / Empowering Bolivia's Most Vulnerable

We're focusing our efforts on the Valles region of central Bolivia - an area that is home to 2.3 million people, 80% of whom rely on small-scale farming for their livelihoods. With over 60% living below the poverty line, these communities are among the most vulnerable to climate change impacts.

When drought or floods strike, the ripple effects can be devastating. Entire seasons of crops can be wiped out, leaving families without income to afford food, healthcare, or education. The impacts are particularly severe for women, who often bear primary responsibility for household welfare.

By providing these farmers with the tools to anticipate, withstand, and recover from climate disasters, we can help break the cycle of crisis and poverty. Our goal is to reach 4,000 families with insurance and 80,000 with early warnings in the initial phase, then rapidly expand across all 65 municipalities in the region.

3 / Groundbreaking Technology Tailored to Local Needs

What sets Suyana's solution apart is the unprecedented precision and localization of our risk modeling. Our AI-powered platform ingests immense volumes of satellite data, sensor readings, and ground observations to generate risk assessments at a 1km resolution.

For the insurance product, this enables us to craft policies and pricing that are individually customized to each farm's unique characteristics. By minimizing "basis risk" - the mismatch between actual losses and payouts - we build trust with farmers while keeping premiums affordable.

On the early warning side, we're pioneering techniques to downscale global climate models to the hyperlocal level. Our forecasts, delivered by SMS, provide farmers with highly specific and actionable insights - not just general regional outlooks. A sunflower grower, for example, might receive an alert that their particular plot is likely to experience a moisture stress condition in the coming days, along with recommendations on how much irrigation to apply.

Importantly, we're not just imposing a one-size-fits-all solution. Every element, from the risk models to the user interfaces, is being adapted in close consultation with local partners and farmer cooperatives. A robust feedback loop ensures the information is as useful and user-friendly as possible.

4 / A Collaborative Effort to Scale Impact

We recognize that a challenge as complex as climate resilience can't be solved by any one organization alone. That's why we're proud to be working hand-in-hand with a diverse coalition of partners to maximize reach and impact.

On the ground, we're collaborating closely with UNICEF and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) to align our project with Bolivia's national Climate Adaptation Plan. By integrating with these larger programs, we gain access to crucial local knowledge, relationships, and resources.

To reach farmers at scale, we're teaming up with agricultural cooperatives, input suppliers, and microfinance institutions. These partners allow us to efficiently bundle our insurance with loans, seeds, fertilizer and other services farmers already use. It's a win-win - strengthening existing business relationships while expanding climate protection to those who need it most.

Major global reinsurance firms and the Inter-American Development Bank's innovation lab are providing critical financial backing and technical guidance. Their support gives us the runway to refine and replicate our model across other vulnerable regions of Latin America and beyond.

5 / A Vision for Resilient, Thriving Communities

As climate impacts escalate, vulnerable communities face a stark choice - adapt or see livelihoods washed away. Suyana is determined to tip the scales in favor of resilience.

By arming farmers with predictive intelligence and responsive financial protection, we believe it's possible to not just survive the changing climate, but thrive in spite of it. Early warnings and swift insurance payouts can mean the difference between a bad season and an inescapable debt spiral. Over time, as farmers gain confidence to invest in their crops and apply climate-smart practices, we expect to see transformative gains in productivity, income stability and food security.

But our vision extends beyond the individual farmer. By shielding the agricultural sector from climate shocks, we can help stabilize economies, reduce forced migration, and ease strain on already-stretched public disaster aid. We see a future where private insurance solutions work hand-in-hand with public adaptation efforts in a united front against climate impacts.

This pilot project in Bolivia is only the beginning. The systems and partnerships we're building have the potential to scale across the developing world, unlocking a self-sustaining market for climate resilience services. With each new country and peril we tackle, millions more livelihoods can be secured.

6 / Join Us in Rewriting the Climate Risk Equation

For too long, climate vulnerability has been seen as an inescapable reality of living in the Global South. Suyana is flipping that script by bringing the data revolution to the communities on the front lines of our changing climate. We're proving that breakthroughs in technology and financial innovation can benefit the world's poorest by changing what's possible in risk management.

At Suyana, we're in the business of turning climate challenges into opportunities for a better world. But we can't do it without far-sighted partners who share our vision of a more resilient future. Together, we can turn the tide on climate risk and ensure a thriving future for the most vulnerable. We hope you'll join us on this vital journey.