Bolivia declares national emergency over El Niño as drought hits over 78,000 families

Drought is already affecting more than 78,000 families in seven regions of the country. Grappling with both flooding and drought, Bolivia has declared a national emergency over El Niño. Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency on 31 October to free up resources for dealing with the impacts of the weather phenomenon. The measure will make it possible to mobilise financial and human resources, as well as to coordinate the work of national institutions with international cooperation in order to assist the affected areas. "Unlike in other years, when we waited for this blow from the environment to arrive, we have taken a decision, with international cooperation and national efforts, to pool financial and human resources to deal with this phenomenon", Paz explained in a message to the population. More than 78,000 families affected by drought The situation is already particularly worrying in the regions suffering from water shortages. According to data from the Vice Ministry of Civil Defence, at least 78,200 families have been affected by the drought in seven of the country’s nine departments. The affected regions are La Paz, Oruro, Potosí, Cochabamba, Chuquisaca, Tarija and Santa Cruz. In addition, 63 communities have declared a drought, while others are preparing for possible flooding. The president has warned that the country could face a combination of extreme events, with a lack of rainfall in some areas and intense rain in others. "This will be a phenomenon that will hit very hard, with both drought and flooding," said the head of state, who called on public administrations and citizens to work together to limit the damage. A decree to anticipate extreme events The emergency decree covers the risks associated with El Niño during the 2026-2027 period, among them droughts, floods, frosts, hailstorms, forest fires and river overflows. The declaration of emergency is intended to facilitate a coordinated response between the different levels of government and to strengthen support for the most vulnerable communities. El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon linked to warming of the waters of the equatorial Pacific, which disrupts rainfall and temperature patterns in different parts of the world. In Bolivia it can cause periods of drought and episodes of intense rainfall, with consequences for the population, agriculture and livestock.