Dozens of tropical forests destroyed of displaced communities and thousands of charred corpses of livestock and wild animals: since May, gigantic fires, caused by each – a practice of clearing land by fire – are devastating the Bolivian Amazon. Faced with this alarming situation, President Luis Arce declared the country in a state of “national catastrophe” on September 30.
In the region, these fires are common during the dry season, which typically runs from June to September. However, this year the drought arrived a month earlier than expected and was especially intense. “Trees have become more easily flammable”emphasizes the Argentine climatologist Juan Minetti, director of the South American Climatology Laboratory, who points out that drought episodes “they are becoming more common” on the continent.
According to the government’s assessment revealed on September 30, 6.9 million hectares (40% forest and 60% pasture) have already been devastated. This area, equivalent to that of Ireland, exceeds the previous record from 2019, when more than 5.3 million hectares were devoured by flames. The department of Santa Cruz, the largest and most populated in the country, is the most affected. According to the latest report from the National Meteorological and Hydrological Service on September 28, 72% (4,075) of the 5,663 homes were in the region.
Indigenous people, main victims
The main victims of this tragedy are the indigenous populations. “Almost all of the fifty-eight indigenous territories located in the affected departments [Pando, Beni, Santa Cruz et La Paz] was affected by the fires »worries Alex Villca Limaco, indigenous of the Uchupiamona people and spokesperson for the National Coordination for the Defense of Indigenous and Peasant Territories and Protected Areas of Bolivia.
Faced with the destruction of their environment, many communities that depend on nut gathering, hunting and gathering medicinal plants for their survival have been forced to migrate to cities. ” Us [les peuples indigènes] “We run the risk of a silent death.”warns Alex Villca Limaco, who is also concerned about the health consequences of the pollution caused by the smoke that covered the region with a gray cloud, damaging visibility and making the air unbreathable. “Many people suffer from cough and respiratory and skin problems. »
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