International

Bolivian President urges action to tackle drought

Photo: @LuchoXBolivia

September 11 |

The president of Bolivia, Luis Arce, urged to face the severe drought that plagues the Latin American country, through a speech delivered this Saturday in the municipality of San Benito, in the central department of Cochabamba.

“It is the concern we have and we are going to assume State policies to solve and face this climate crisis that is hitting the whole world and Bolivia on the issue of water,” he said.

He assured that the drought is having devastating effects on key sectors such as agriculture, livestock and the economy of productive regions.

According to the Vice Minister of Civil Defense, Juan Carlos Calvimontes, at least 260 of the 337 Bolivian municipalities reported natural disasters due to the effects of a drought associated with the El Niño phenomenon.

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In this sense, experts from the National Meteorology and Hydrology Service (Senamhi), emphasize that this climatological event, whose duration is about ten months, will last until March 2024.

The drought is worsening in the western region of the country. One of the areas most affected is Potosí, which is why water rationing has been approved there as of September 15.

In view of the critical situation, Arce submitted to the Legislative Assembly several bills on credits for the construction of dams and reservoirs. He also called on the legislators to expedite their treatment.

So far, the Arce administration has invested more than 8.2 billion Bolivian pesos (US$1.19 billion) in 838 water, sanitation, irrigation and watershed management projects to guarantee human consumption and agricultural activity.

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Related Topics:Bolivia Bolivian President

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