Kathmandu, November 3
Bolivia has declared a nationwide state of emergency as the risk of droughts and floods has increased due to climate change and the El Niño weather phenomenon.
The Bolivian government declared the emergency to mobilise the resources needed to respond to natural disasters triggered by El Niño.
President Rodrigo Paz signed the emergency decree on Saturday, Al Jazeera reported. The decree also directs authorities to deploy additional rescue teams to areas worst affected by floods and droughts.
President Paz said the impacts of both droughts and floods caused by El Niño could be severe. He said cooperation from all government agencies and institutions was necessary to address the challenge.
According to a report released by the Bolivian government this week, six of the country’s nine regions have been affected by drought. So far, 78,000 families have been affected, while more than 75,000 livestock have died.
Bolivia is also vulnerable to floods. Dozens of people died in floods in the Santa Cruz region in December 2025. The effects of El Niño are beginning to be felt in other South American countries as well.
Santiago, the capital of neighbouring Chile, recorded its highest-ever rainfall in October this year. Similarly, at least 12 people died in wildfires in Peru last month.
