Situated at an altitude of 3,600 to 4,500 metres in the highest plateaux of the Andes, Lake Titicaca straddles the border of Bolivia and Peru and comprises a basin network of four distinct lakes. The surrounding environment is fragile, subject to flooding and, increasingly, pollution. A unique feature of this pilot case study is the presence of indigenous, pre-Hispanic peoples who continue to follow their ancient cultural traditions and resist assimilation into Western-style societies. These people are extremely poor, and only about 20 percent have access to water and sanitation. The major challenges for the Binational Autonomous Authority of Lake Titicaca, therefore, are to find ways to promote land tenure reform, adopt appropriate farming and irrigation techniques, and develop legislation that will provide an enabling environment in which culturally sensitive development and resource-sharing may occur