Bolivia declares state of emergency over El Nino impacts

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 1 Nov, 06:32 · Archive

Bolivia has declared a nationwide state of emergency to address severe drought and flooding caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon.

Bolivia has declared a nationwide state of emergency to address the effects of the El Nino weather phenomenon. President Rodrigo Paz signed the decree on Saturday, which freed up resources and called for further deployments of rescue teams in areas hard hit by flooding and drought. El Nino will have "very severe impacts in terms of drought and floods", Paz said, adding that Bolivia needs "the cooperation of all institutions".

Drought is now affecting 78,000 families in six of Bolivia's nine departments and has led to the loss of more than 75,000 cattle, according to a government report. Authorities have also warned of potential floods, flash floods, and landslides as the rainy season begins. The decree allows deployment of additional rescue teams and calls for coordination between national and regional authorities, the armed forces and police.

El Nino is a periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific that disrupts global weather patterns, often bringing drought to some regions and heavy rainfall to others. The current El Nino is on course to become exceptionally strong and is expected to peak at the end of 2026, with impacts potentially continuing well into 2027. Scientists predict El Nino could cause over 450,000 deaths globally, with the poorest countries worst impacted.

How it is being reported

• Bolivia declares emergency as El Nino intensifies, threatens severe weatherPresident Rodrigo Paz warned of severe droughts and flooding as El Nino intensifies, with at least 78,000 families already affected by drought.DW News · 1 Nov, 06:19
• Bolivia declares state of emergency over El Nino weather patternDrought is affecting 78,000 families and has led to loss of over 75,000 cattle, as El Nino due to peak in late 2026.Al Jazeera · 1 Nov, 04:04

In this story: Bolivia · Rodrigo Paz · El Nino · Chile · Peru · World Meteorological Organization

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